


Co-operation

by Miko no da (Miko)



Series: Sinners & Saints [8]
Category: Weiß Kreuz
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-01-01
Updated: 2001-01-01
Packaged: 2018-03-05 05:58:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3108620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miko/pseuds/Miko%20no%20da
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An unexpected mission sends Omi plunging back into a world he thought he'd left behind. (formerly called 'Obsession')</p><p>(Posting OLD fics from my defunct website)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Co-operation

Youji sighed and rolled over, still half asleep. The arm that wasn't pillowing his head wandered over the sheets, in search of the lithe young body that should have been keeping his side warm. Not only did his hand not encounter his lover, the sheets he touched were cold, indicating that the boy had been gone for some time.

Frowning, he cracked open his eyes and shielded them against the sunlight streaming through the window. Guiltily he realized that he must have badly overslept - the window faced southwest. Sure enough, he was alone on the narrow twin bed, the sheets rumpled around him, pillow beside him dented but cold.

A sudden spate of typing drew his attention across the room, and he located his little lover. Omi was sitting at his desk in a pair of sweatpants, fingers flying over the keyboard as his eyes zipped back and forth across the screen. Youji could just make out the screen, and recognized the program the boy was running as a chat room of some sort. "Omittchi?" he spoke up, voice husky with sleep. "What are you doing, bishounen?"

Omi turned and smiled at him, lighting the room far more than the sunlight ever could. Youji felt something melt near his heart, just as he always did when his lover gave him that sweet, adoring look. "Ohayou, Yo-chan," he replied, using his private nickname for the lanky playboy. "Or maybe I should say 'konnichi wa'... it's well past noon. I'm talking to Nagi."

"Nagi?" Youji repeated in surprise, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and sitting up. He stretched, easing muscles stiff from sleeping in such a small bed. He craned his neck to try to see the screen better.

Omi suddenly looked uncertain. "Yeah. You don't mind, do you? I'm really the only friend he has, and he gets so lonely when Schu's away with Crawford... I usually try and keep him company if I'm around. Are you... are you mad at me?" He peeked up at Youji through his lashes hesitantly.

Youji thought about it. Was he mad? Schwartz was still their enemy, Nagi no less so than any of the others. In the two months since he'd gotten his second chance with Omi, he had never seen the boy having any contact with his old Master and fellow pet, and had assumed that Omi had left his relationship with them behind entirely. Now it seemed he'd assumed wrong. But that still left the question - was he mad at Omi for talking to Nagi online?

"No, I'm not mad," he finally decided, and Omi let out a sigh of relief. "It's not like I don't trust you or something. I was just surprised - I didn't think Schuldig and Nagi talked to you anymore."

Omi blushed a bit, and rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding me? Sometimes I wish I could get Schu to shut up! His newest favourite pastime seems to be standing around during missions, watching us and making fun of us. It's distracting! I swear there've been a couple of times when I just about burst out laughing, and I know Nagi was having trouble too because he kept dropping me."

Youji assumed that the commentary was purely mental, since he'd never heard anything of the sort from the cocky telepath during their battles. "How do you handle fighting them?" he asked his lover, curious. It hadn't occurred to him until now that it might be difficult for Omi to deal with hurting the people who had once been his lovers.

Omi shrugged. "Same way I always did. I do my best to kill them, and they stop me. It's not like I actually have any chance of hurting them. Though..." he looked sheepish. "I do use my tranquilizer darts, not my poisoned ones. Just in case I did somehow manage to get through Nagi's defenses. I... I don't think I could deal with it if I did seriously injure them."

Youji read the hurt in the young man's eyes, and stood to wrap his arms around the boy's shoulders. "Given the way our battles typically go, I don't think you're in any danger of ever finding out," he reassured him. Omi had to smile at him again. "And have you noticed that you're coming out of your fights with Nagi with fewer injuries than you used to?"

"Of course," Omi replied. "I'm not THAT unobservant! Besides, we've talked about it. Nagi doesn't like hurting me any more than I like hurting him - so we mostly just fight to a draw. I AM keeping him from hurting any of you, and he's likewise stopping me from going after his teammates, so we figure it's a fair enough fight." He wrinkled his nose. "As for Schu... well, why do you think I never fight with him? He's the one person my darts might actually hurt!"

The computer beeped at them, and he glanced at the screen. It took Youji a moment to realize why he was having trouble reading the words. "Why are you guys writing in English?" He puzzled over the foreign letters - he spoke English well enough to get by, but his reading and writing comprehension weren't nearly as good.

"Most hacking is done in English - or rather, in computer language using English words and programming syntax," Omi told him, typing a reply. "We always chat in English, for practice. He's just telling me that he has to go." He finished typing and moved the mouse to close the window, leaving only his desktop. Leaning back, he snuggled into Youji's embrace.

"Come back to bed with me," Youji urged him, stroking one hand over the soft, downy hair and luxuriating in the texture.

"Mou, Youji! It's already afternoon - we shouldn't stay in bed any longer," Omi berated him, his words carrying less force because of the expression of sleepy pleasure on his face.

"So?" Youji purred, loving the sweet little moans Omi was making in the back of his throat. "It's Sunday, you don't have school, and the shop is closed. We don't have any missions right now. Why shouldn't we spend the day making each other scream?"

"Uh... I can't think of any good reason," Omi admitted, and Youji chuckled. His koi was nothing if not eager, as he'd discovered to his pleasure. Nor was he shy - anywhere and everywhere was fair grounds, and Youji could find himself jumped at any time of day or night. They had indeed done it on the flower shop table, late one night - and in the back room of the store, during the day when Ken and Aya were up front. Omi was an exhibitionist at heart and was turned on by the idea of one of their teammates walking in on them accidentally; Youji was certain the little imp went out of his way to start things in not-so-private places on purpose.

He had just gotten Omi onto the bed and was working on shedding the boy's sweatpants as quickly as possible, when the knock on the front door came. "Ignore it," Omi instructed him breathlessly, attacking his nipples mercilessly. Youji groaned and agreed, ducking his head to taste the soft skin of his lover's neck.

The knock sounded again, louder. Omi moaned, then raised his voice. "Go away, I'm busy!" he shouted, then giggled. "Poor Ken-kun," he murmured to Youji.

"How do you know it's Ken and not Aya?" Youji wanted to know, pausing in his explorations and making Omi whine for him not to stop.

"Because," Omi panted, squirming around on top of Youji. He loved to be on top, though he was generally uke. "Aya-kun would have yelled the second time..."

Youji was searching blindly for the lube they kept in the bedside table, eyes closed with ecstasy as Omi rocked against him, when the third knock came. This time it was accompanied by a voice. "Hey, guys, knock it off!" Ken ordered them irritably. "Manx is here - we've got a mission!"

Youji swore, and Omi moaned his agreement. "We'll be down in ten minutes," Youji shouted back at him. He could just barely make out Ken's snort.

"Yeah, right. That's what you said last time. C'mon, guys, we're not gonna wait all day for you!"

They looked at each other in consternation, and Omi sighed. "Duty calls," he intoned dramatically, then giggled. "Oh, well. It was time to get up anyway!"

He slid off Youji and grabbed for his pants again, nimbly skipping out of the way of his lover's clutching hands. Youji grumbled and gave in, snatching his own discarded clothes off the floor. He regarded the wrinkled shirt and pants with disdain, and sighed. "I've gotta remember to start keeping clothes in here," he commented morosely as he pulled on the pants. "Remind me, bishounen?"

Omi chuckled. "Every time I do, you swear that we're never sleeping in my bed again," he teased the older man. "And yet somehow, whenever I'm in here late working on my computer, you end up in my room and don't want to leave!"

"That's because walking all the way to my bedroom with you draped all over me is an impossibility, bishounen," Youji told him dryly. "You know I can't keep my hands off you." Leering, he demonstrated by reaching out to pull his lover in for a kiss. Omi evaded him skillfully, laughing.

"Youji! Come on, if we get started again we'll miss the mission briefing. Manx is already mad enough at us for last time!"

They managed to get downstairs to the mission room without getting (too) distracted, and found the others waiting as expected. Manx popped the video into the player as they settled into their seats - Youji on the couch by Aya, Omi at his computer, because they had learned the hard way that if they sat together they'd miss most of the briefing.

The eerie silhouette of the new Persia came onto the screen, and Youji forced himself to pay attention instead of staring at Omi's profile. "Weiss. As you may know, there has been a rash of kidnappings in the last few months. Several of our non-lethal units had been assigned to the case, but there had been little progress. However, we've gotten a break; one of the bodies washed up in Tokyo Harbour five days ago. Identification was delayed, because of the extreme damage done to the victim, but she was positively identified as one of the kidnapped teens yesterday."

Several pictures flashed up on the screen, and Youji choked off an exclamation. He was amazed the police had been able to ID her at all. Her face had been badly disfigured; whether to prevent identification or just as part of the overall torture she'd been through, he wasn't sure. And she had been tortured, that much was clear from the burns, cuts, horrible bruises and other wounds scattered over her body. She was dressed in the remains of some kind of lingerie - he could make out scraps of lace and waterlogged silk.

"This is now your case, Weiss. The perpetrators of such madness cannot be allowed to continue. White Hunters in the dark, hunt the tomorrows of the dark beasts!"

The screen faded to black, and Manx stepped forward with a bunch of manila file folders. She passed them out, and Youji reached in to pull out several large glossy prints of the photos they'd just seen. "We had one further break concerning the body," Manx told them when they all had their files. "As you can see, she was wearing a collar around her neck, with a filigreed pendant." Youji flipped to the appropriate picture and his eyes widened - across the room he heard Omi make a muffled noise. "The pendant was custom made, and the smith's mark was still clear on the back. The police have questioned the smith; he makes them for the local BDSM community. Unfortunately, this purchase was commissioned by telephone and deposited in a bank lock box without the smith ever seeing the customer. According to him, this is fairly standard procedure for those in the community who don't wish to be known in public."

She paused, but no one commented. "It is possible that this is a one-time connection; the other teens may have been used for a different purpose. However it is the only lead we have, and regardless of whether her killers were also her kidnappers, they must not be allowed to continue with this kind of sadism."

Omi opened his mouth like he wanted to comment, then closed it again and shook his head when Manx looked at him enquiringly. The statuesque redhead shrugged and continued. "We're going to need some of you to go undercover, to find out who uses this particular symbol on their collars. This is going to be both dangerous and difficult, and..."

"We'll never get in!" Youji interrupted her. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he elaborated. "You have to know someone in the community to get an invitation to one of their parties. We'd have to start with the mild public clubs, get a reputation, get noticed by one of the elite, get invited to a party... it'll all take months, and we still might not be moving in the same circles as our killer!"

"Well, we have to do something!" Ken exclaimed in frustration. He shook the handful of photos he was holding. "We can't just let them get away with this. There've been over fourteen people kidnapped - what if they all end up like this?"

"It may already be too late to save the others," Aya pointed out. He indicated one of the photos. "See the rope around her waist? She was tied to something heavy and dumped - the rope must have frayed, which is the only reason she was found. The others might be at the bottom of the harbour."

Ken blanched. "Well, that doesn't mean we can't save the people who WILL be kidnapped," he insisted stubbornly. "C'mon, Aya, don't tell me you're turning this one down!"

"No, of course not. I'm playing Devil's Advocate," Aya replied calmly. "But if Youji's right about how difficult this is, we may be looking at several more deaths before we can..."

"I can get in."

Omi's quiet interjection stopped the argument cold, and they all turned to look at him. He was staring at the floor, blushing, eyes shadowed by his long bangs. "I can get in," he repeated in a resigned tone. He lifted his gaze to meet theirs squarely, despite his obvious embarrassment. "It won't be easy, but I can do it."

"Omi..." Youji trailed off, uncertain what to say. He knew about Omi's former involvement in the BDSM crowd, but the others only had suspicions. He knew how hard it must be for the boy to admit to his connection to this community.

"I'm known in this area, I'll be able to get me and maybe one other person into the parties," Omi continued. His knuckles were white where they gripped the back of the chair he was straddling, giving a clear indication of how tense he was. Ken was gaping at him, and even Aya looked perturbed.

There was one major flaw with this little plan, however; though Youji was loath to point it out in front of their teammates, he couldn't let Omi walk blindly into danger. "Omi, you're a sub, and you're not claimed. You walk in there, and YOU'LL be the next body in the harbour."

Ken turned his wide-eyed gaze to Youji, as Omi sighed and slumped in his chair. "Not if I have my Master with me," the boy pointed out. Youji shook his head.

"No way. Even if one of us went in with you as your Master, we'd have no status. You'd still be essentially up for grabs..."

"I wasn't talking about one of you," he interrupted wearily. Youji stared at him. "I'll ask my old Master if he'll take me back long enough to sort this out. It'll still mean some fights, since he publicly gave up claim to me, but that may actually help us - it'll let me know who's looking right now."

"You'd ask..." he trailed off in astonishment. "Would he do it?" He had a hard time picturing Schuldig helping them with a mission, whatever the circumstances. Omi had told him again and again that Schuldig had only been kind to him as his Master, and 9Youji had seen for himself some of the affection between the two of them, but it was still hard to believe.

Omi's eyes unfocussed, as though he were staring into the distance and thinking really hard. Youji had a suspicion that the boy was actually conferring with the telepath, however. "He'll do it - if I ask nicely enough," he finally declared.

Youji's eyes narrowed. "Define, 'nicely enough'," he ordered. Omi gave him a look that clearly said, 'What do you THINK?'. "Yeah, that's what I thought. No way!"

"Peoples lives are on the line, Youji!" Omi protested, upset. "I don't want to do this either - I'm happy with you, I don't need to go back to that. But I will if it will make the difference in this mission - and you know it will!"

"I don't believe I'm hearing this conversation," Ken muttered from the other side of the room. Manx was staring at them both, clearly startled at the revelations Omi was making. "You mean we were right all along? You really WERE involved in BDSM, Omi?"

Omi blushed harder. "Yes. For a while. I'd really rather not talk about it, please?"

"Very well. Bombay will go in undercover, with one other person if he can manage it. The other two will be backup - I assume you're all in on this one?"

Aya and Ken nodded. "No!" Omi exclaimed, and they stared at him again. He looked back at them stubbornly. "If I'm going to do this, I have conditions," he told them firmly. "Aya-kun and Ken-kun are not to be involved. I'll take Youji with me, either inside if we can or outside as backup, but it's the two of us or nothing!"

Youji had to admit to the logic of that, though he didn't like the idea of not having backup for the two of them. There was no way they could keep Aya and Ken from discovering the identity of Omi's Dom if they were involved in the mission. "I'll second that," he confirmed reluctantly. "Even having me inside may be stretching credibility. The security at the kind of place we're going to be looking for is tight - tighter than most of the multinational corporations we've dealt with. No way to get in as servers or any of our other usual dodges - they're all screened carefully. Too many important people who don't want the news of their kinky lifestyle getting out to the public. The only thing an outside agent could do would be to sit around waiting for us to come out - no point."

"You two are hiding something," Aya observed with his usual acuity. Omi grimaced.

"I'd deny it, but you'd know I was lying," he admitted. "Youji's points are still valid, though. This really won't work with more than two people. I promise that if it becomes relevant to the mission, I'll tell you everything. But I have an implied commitment to these people not to let their identities get out - just as they would cover for me, if it became necessary."

"I still don't believe this," Ken repeated incredulously. "Omi, you... man. I... wow, this is so weird. You may be my best friend, Omi, but I'm beginning to think I'll never really understand you."

Omi smiled hesitantly at him, and Youji knew the boy was glad Ken didn't think less of him for his revelation. Ken and Omi had been fast friends from the day the ex-soccer player had joined Weiss, and Youji was happy that hadn't changed. Ken smiled back at Omi, reassuring him.

"All right, Bombay and Balinese will be alone on this one. Siberian and Abyssinian, you can go over the kidnapping cases and look for other leads, in case the BDSM connection is a red herring," Manx decided.

Omi stood, and sighed. "I need to get in touch with my Master... I'll see you guys later this afternoon, okay?" He cast a look at Youji that was both a plea for understanding and a declaration of love, and then vanished up the stairs.

"It's going to be a long night," Youji declared, slumping back into the couch's embrace. He didn't like the idea of Omi being with Schuldig again, but the boy was right - people's lives were on the line, and if Omi was willing to do this, it had to be his decision. Youji was his lover, not his keeper - but he wished his could keep Omi away from this.

 

* * *

Youji stood outside the flower shop, watering the plants out there and enjoying the unusually warm winter day. It was only February, but spring was already making its presence felt and they'd decided to put some of the sturdier trees and flowers outside to draw people into the store. He and Ken were working the afternoon shift together, though Omi was camped out at the table with several textbooks and notebooks, doing his homework. It was quiet, even for a Monday, and they'd had few customers that day. Midterms were coming up, which was why Omi was studying this early in the day, and most of the fangirls were likewise occupied.

He finished the watering and went back inside, glancing over at the two girls who were the shop's only customers at the moment. They were both very pretty and looked to be college age, and were giggling over the lilies.

"No flower could ever hope to compare to your beauty, ladies," he said automatically, taking two of the smaller lilies and presenting them to the girls with a flourish. "But they do make a valiant effort, don't they?"

The girls giggled more and ended up buying a dozen of the pretty flowers, which was what Youji had intended. Ken rang up the sale, grinning at Youji and cocking his head towards the table. Youji turned to see Omi eyeing him with a ghost of a smile.

"If you keep doing that, I'm going to start getting jealous," the boy threatened mildly after the girls had left. Ken chuckled out loud, delighted to see Youji flush. Though they'd made no effort to hide their relationship from their teammates, both Youji and Omi had been glad to find that neither of the others had any objections to or problems with them being together. They'd kept it quiet publicly, though - Omi was still underage, and they could have gotten into a lot of trouble.

"It's habit, bishounen," Youji protested lightly, used to the teasing about his flirting. He knew very well that Omi didn't have a jealous bone in his body - after a rocky start, the boy now had enough confidence in their relationship that he knew he didn't have to worry about Youji straying.

The bell above the door rang again, and Ken turned to greet the customer. "Irrashai... mase?" he ended the welcome with a questioning rise in his voice, and Youji turned to see what had caused that reaction.

It was a deliveryman with a large package under his arm and a clipboard in his free hand. "Delivery for a... 'katsu-chan'?" he sounded the word out hesitantly, squinting at the script on his board.

Omi blinked, then flushed. "Katzchen," he muttered, giving the word its correct German pronunciation. "That's me, I guess."

"Sign here," the man told him, pointing to a place on the slip. Omi did so, and he handed over the package. "Here you go! Have a good day."

"You too," Omi replied absently, eyeing the package. "I guess this means he agrees," he sighed at last. Ken wandered over, curious, and Youji shifted a little closer as well.

"Katzchen?" Ken asked, mangling the foreign word but not as badly as the deliveryman had.

"It's the name I used at the parties," Omi admitted with a blush. "Most people use a pseudonym of some kind." Youji had to chuckle - it was typically brazen of Schuldig to send Omi a package like that, addressed to him by the name he used in the BDSM community.

Omi untied the string and lifted the lid, revealing several layers of soft white tissue paper covering an amorphous black shape. He sifted through the layers, peeling them back to reveal a pile of slinky, soft-looking black fabric. He blinked at it, confused. "What..."

Youji spotted what looked like a curved leather band, and reached in to pull it out. It turned out to be a headband, thin enough that Omi's hair would hide it from sight - all but the two black velvet ears at the top. Omi blushed harder. "Ha, ha, very funny," he muttered, taking the ears from Youji. "Katzchen means 'kitten'," he explained when Youji and Ken looked baffled.

"That sounds like German," Ken observed, surprised. Omi chuckled.

"Not every German is as bad as Schuldig, Ken-kun," he pointed out as Youji choked on a snort. The little scamp!

There was a note tucked into the folds of tissue, written in beautiful calligraphic English letters on rice paper. Omi skimmed it quickly. "There's a party on Friday," he told them. "Gebieter says it's not normally the sort of thing he attends, but that it IS the sort of thing the people we're looking for would go to. He's arranged for you to get in as well, Youji - your outfit is under mine." He paused and rolled his eyes. "I'm sure they match in some way - he's got such a flair for the dramatic. Our cover is that you're a new Dom he's agreed to train, and I'm a present to you." He smiled, pleased. "That'll work well, I think - and it sidesteps some of the problems we were going to have because he gave up claim to me."

Ken shook his head, poking through the box. "Silk, leather, velvet - I don't even know what this stuff is," he catalogued the items, pausing over a stretchy fabric that shimmered with golden highlights. "What's this?" He pulled out another thin strip of leather, this one with a golden pendant attached.

Omi snatched it out of his hand, cheeks burning. "My collar," he muttered, examining it as if to check for damage. "I wonder why he made it gold this time?"

"To match the outfit, maybe?" Youji suggested. "Gold does suit you better than silver, anyway. I'm not sure I want to see what he's going to make me wear."

Ken was reading over the note, his English being somewhat better than Youji's. "Omi, is it a good idea for him to know that you're looking for someone?" the brunette wondered aloud. "I mean, when this guy dies - he's gonna know it was you, won't he?"

Omi hesitated, and Youji could tell he was thinking fast. "I had to tell him something, Ken-kun," he said, waving his hands in a vague gesture. "He'll stay quiet about it - people in this crowd are good at keeping secrets."

"Oh. Okay." Ken apparently lost interest in the topic entirely, wandering off to go work on one of the arrangements that had been ordered earlier in the day. Youji frowned - Ken, like Omi, was insatiably curious, and it wasn't like him to just drop a subject like that.

 _*Would you rather he keep asking questions that Omi can't answer easily?*_ a nasal voice sounded in his mind. Youji fought hard not to jump or show his surprise in some other way. _*If we're going to pull this off without getting his ass in more trouble than either of you can handle, I'm going to have to be liberal about messing with their thoughts to keep them from asking awkward questions.*_

 _Why are you helping us, anyway?_ Youji tried to make the thought as clear as possible, thinking it as loudly as he could inside his head.

 _*Don't strain yourself, Weiss - you don't have to shout,*_ Schuldig chided him in return. _*Better get used to me inside your head - I'm going to be here for the duration. It's the only way we'll be able to keep our acts together. As for why I'm doing it...*_ Youji sensed a kind of mental hesitation, an echo of uncertainty that surprised him. _*Even I've got limits,*_ the telepath finally said. _*This goes beyond them. Besides, to the best of my knowledge no one Schwartz is under contract to protect is involved - and it means I get to put my hands all over Katzchen's cute little ass again.*_

He laughed at the surge of anger Youji felt at those words, and his presence faded away. Given what he'd said, Youji doubted he was gone entirely, but at least he wasn't making a nuisance of himself. He reigned in his feelings before they could show on his face and give him away.

"I guess we're good to go, then," he said aloud, gesturing at the box on the table. Omi nodded, and shared a slightly nervous smile with him.

"I don't like having to wait so long to get started, but there's nothing much we can do about it," Omi agreed, placing the lid back on the box after carefully replacing his collar. "I just hope this works..."

 

* * *

Friday evening found Youji struggling to figure out how he was supposed to wear what Schuldig had given him, fighting with zippers and clips and straps. Omi had left him to deal with it by himself, claiming that he needed some time alone to help him get into the mindset he would need to carry this off. Youji supposed he could understand that, but he really wished the boy had gotten it out of the way earlier so he could have helped Youji with the outfit.

Finally he was dressed properly - or at least he thought he was. There weren't any snaps undone or straps left over or rings not attached to anything, and it looked pretty good, so he figured he was okay. The note had specified that they should dress at home, since there wouldn't be change rooms at the party. Or rather, not any rooms they would want to use. They'd have to cover up with trench coats on the drive over, but it shouldn't be much of a problem.

He paused to admire himself in the mirror. He'd expected it to be black, to match Omi's outfit - instead it was white and green, matching his eyes. First came the dark green harness over his chest - four straps that met at a ring in the center of his chest, and at what looked like an over-sized horse bit along his spine. He had to shift a bit until it would lie comfortably against his back. Then came the tight, dark green leather briefs that buckled on the side with brass buckles, covered by white leather calfskin pants that fit him like they'd been painted on. Strategically placed cutouts in the leather showed off his muscled calves and thighs, and practically begged the observer to reach out and compare the difference in textures. The leather was thin enough that you could make out the darker shape of the briefs beneath it, and he found to his surprise that he could indeed still blush over his appearance. Over it all went a sleeveless silk tunic, open down the front so that the harness was visible. There had been a tiny bottle of oil included, which Omi had instructed him to brush lightly over his chest and abs. The end result was pure sex, and nothing less.

Satisfied with his appearance, he pulled on the trench he wore for missions, figuring there was no reason to use a different one. They WERE on a mission, and this way he'd have it handy if they found the target. Slipping on his signature shades, he sauntered out onto the balcony between their apartments.

Omi's door was unlocked, so he let himself in. "Omi?" he called softly, not wanting to disturb his lover if he was still getting ready. He could hear pounding rock music from somewhere further in the apartment, the beat steady and insistent.

"In here!" the younger assassin called back from the bathroom. Youji made his way down the hall and stopped just outside the doorway. His jaw dropped, and he couldn't help but stare at the luscious sight before him.

Omi was standing in front of the mirror, hips swaying back and forth seductively to the beat, dressed in a catsuit that was skin-tight from toes to wrists. It covered his feet like soft slippers, and extended out over the backs of his hands as well, attaching to two thin golden bands that he wore on his middle fingers. The material was some form of spandex derivative, shot through with sparkling golden threads that shimmered brightly in the light. It was also translucent, only a hair's breadth away from being transparent - he could make out the dusky circles of the boy's nipples, peaked either from cold or excitement, beneath the fabric. The only thing that saved him from total indecency was the leather g-string wrapped around his waist, covering the essentials. A knee-length tail dangled from the back of the briefs, made of velvet and stuffed with something to make it stiffer. It swayed in counterpoint to his movements, drawing Youji's eyes inexorably to his ass.

Omi was just settling the headband, pulling a few locks of hair over it to hide the leather. He'd put something in his hair that sparkled under the lights, though it looked as soft and pliable as always. He also had a subtler glitter dusted over all his exposed skin, making him shimmer golden from head to toe. "Well?" he asked, twirling to show off the outfit. "Do you like it?"

Youji swallowed hard, and controlled himself. "Hell yes, I like it," he replied huskily. "Are you kidding me? It's taking everything I have not to jump you here and now, bishounen." Omi blushed prettily, pleased with the compliment. He eyed the open front of Youji's jacket.

"You look pretty good yourself," he replied with a sexy smile. Youji groaned.

"You'd better quit eyeing me like you want to eat me, or we're not gonna be on time," he informed his lover, who chuckled mischievously.

 _*You'd better not be late,*_ Schuldig informed them both sourly. _*I had enough trouble arranging to get us all into this party - if you miss it, I'm not trying again!*_

 _*We'll be there, don't worry,*_ Omi replied, to Youji's surprise. He grinned at his lover. _*Schuldig has us all connected - Nagi's probably in here too.*_

 _*I am,*_ the telekinetic confirmed, his mental voice as soft and unassuming as his audible one. Youji vaguely remembered Omi once telling him that Nagi was not a sub, but a pet - a submissive that depended on his Master to run his life to the point where he couldn't function without one.

 _*He is,*_ Schuldig told him, and Youji got the feeling that the German was speaking to him alone for a moment. _*He's broken, though he's better than he used to be. Don't even THINK about giving him orders, understand?*_ The threat in the man's thoughts was clear, and Youji shivered despite himself.

"I wouldn't," he answered aloud automatically, causing Omi to give him another smile. Youji would have expected an odd look rather than a smile, but then he supposed you got used to others suddenly answering unspoken questions when you hung out with a telepath.

"You get used to it," Omi said as if in answer to Youji's thoughts. Hell, it probably WAS in answer to Youji's thoughts. He grimaced, and decided that it was going to take a while for him to adjust. Omi reached over and turned off the portable radio sitting on the back of the toilet, and motioned for them to leave.

"Are we taking your car?" he asked as he looked in his closet for a coat. "Oh, rats - I left my long coat in the shop when it rained last week. Oh, well - think I'll give Ken-kun a nosebleed?" He grinned impishly as they made their way out and down the stairs that led both to the shop and to the back door.

"Probably," Youji agreed, smiling as well. "And yes, we're taking my car. We're certainly NOT riding double on your bike, and it would be just a little bit awkward for us to be picked up, don't you think?"

Omi rolled his eyes at the thought of Schuldig pulling up front with his red sports car and waiting for them to climb in. _*I don't know, I think it would be kind of fun,*_ the telepath projected at them in amusement.

 _*Don't even think about it, Schu!*_ Omi exclaimed, backing his words with a burst of annoyance. _*After all the trouble we've gone through to keep them from finding out...*_

 _*I'm just teasing you Katzchen, relax!*_ Youji was surprised to feel real affection behind the words. Apparently telepathy could convey a whole lot more than he'd thought it could. _*Has it been so long that you've forgotten how much I love to make you blush?*_

Omi promptly blushed, eliciting laughter from their unseen companion. They stepped through the door that led into the shop, and found Ken and Aya hovering. Ken's jaw just about hit the floor as he saw them, and Aya's eyes widened in shock though he controlled his features better than Ken.

"O... Omi!" Ken gasped, stuttering in surprise. Omi blushed harder but twirled once more, showing off his outfit.

"Like it?" he asked again.

 _*Of course he likes it,*_ Schuldig purred at them smugly. _*Don't look down -he's hoping real hard you won't notice his reaction.*_ Of course both of them looked down automatically, their eyes flicking back up again the moment they realized what they were doing. It was like telling someone that they absolutely must not think about the camel's left knee - you couldn't help it. Thankfully Ken didn't seem to catch them at it - he was too busy blushing. _*Mr. Iceman over there isn't as unaffected as he'd like you to believe, either,*_ the telepath continued, laughing at them. _*Though he at least is better at controlling his body. Those two need to get laid, bad. I could nudge them, get them working out their frustrations with each other while you two are away...*_

 _*Leave them alone, Schu,*_ Omi ordered him sternly. _*They'll either get together on their own, or they won't. If you nudge them, they might do something they'll regret later.*_

 _*Better to regret something you did than a chance you missed, Katzchen,*_ Schuldig told them lightly. _*I'll leave them be, if you ask nicely enough.*_ The lascivious tone of his voice and the images he projected left little question as to what would be considered 'nicely enough'. Omi blushed again.

_*You'll just have to wait until we get there, Schu. Nagi, take my place in the meantime, will you please?*_

Youji felt the telekinetic's amused assent, and the contact faded away once more. The entire exchange had taken only a few seconds - the others hadn't even realized they'd been distracted. "We're off, as soon as Omi gets his coat," he said aloud, hoping to ease poor Ken's tension. Omi, of course, 'accidentally' brushed by his best friend on his way to the closet, causing Ken to blush hard enough that he very nearly did nosebleed. Even Aya had a tinge of pink across his cheeks, and neither of them were looking straight at the sexy teen.

"Let's go," Omi laughingly ordered his lover, casting one last glance over his shoulder as he waved goodbye to Ken and Aya.

"You left your jacket in the shop on purpose, didn't you?" Youji realized as they drove away, amazed once again at the temerity of his lover. "You wanted them to see that outfit."

Omi dimpled. "Well, I figured maybe it would get them to stop treating me like a kid," he admitted. "And Ken-kun's reaction was definitely worth it. Don't you think?"

"Yeah," Youji had to agree, smiling at the memory of the poor blushing young man. "Think we'll come back and find them in bed together?"

"Oh, I hope so!" Omi replied fervently, surprising Youji. "Well, don't you?" Omi asked, seeing the look on his face. "They need someone to be with! They're both so lonely - I don't have as much time for Ken-kun now as I used to, and Aya-kun never did let me get close. It would be good for them."

Youji thought about it. "If they don't kill each other first," he finally decided, making Omi smile. "Now, where are we going, exactly?"

 _*Here,*_ came the mental answer, accompanied by the directions in a wordless burst. Youji blinked and the car swerved a little before he got it under control.

"Give a guy some warning when you're going to do that, will you? At least when I'm driving!" he muttered under his breath, making Schuldig laugh. "I can't believe I actually agreed to this."

Omi looked over at him in concern. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Yo-chan," he told him seriously. "If you really want to back out, now's the time..."

"I can't back out any more than you can, bishounen, and for the same reasons," Youji groused. "It's this or nothing, seems like. I won't let more innocents be killed because I'm a little squeamish."

 _*We'd better get our stories straight now, while we've got time,*_ Schuldig suggested. _*First off, remember that Nagi and Omi are Liebchen and Katzchen - don't call them by anything else! You're going to be going by the name of 'Greeneyes'. You're a friend of Katzchen's, who was at a Dungeon party for the first time and decided to 'rescue' him. Consequently, you got curious and got him to tell you more about it, and finally decided that you wanted to try it, with him. You both came to me a few weeks ago, and I agreed to take you as... well, a sort of apprentice, I guess.* There was a trace of amusement in his voice. *I let you keep Katzchen as a practice toy, rather than reclaiming him. That means you're both under my protection, so we shouldn't have to deal with too many fights.*_

"I thought no one challenged you any more?" Omi said aloud in surprise.

_*This isn't my usual crowd, Katzchen. These people are even more brutal than the bunch that almost raped you your first night. I normally avoid this group - Liebe is still too sensitive for this sort of shit, and if I wasn't right at his side all the time they could probably intimidate him into obeying them. Which reminds me, both of you had better help me keep an eye on him. If he gets into trouble, I'm holding you responsible, understand?*_

_*We'll be careful,*_ Omi promised solemnly. _*Nagi, you make sure to stick with us, okay?*_

 _*I'm not leaving Gebieter's side, no matter what!*_ came the unexpectedly fierce reply. Youji felt a burst of approval and affection from two sources, and realized that Schuldig and Omi were aiming the feelings at Nagi.

"He's gotten better at standing up for himself, even just since I've known him," Omi told him aloud. "I don't like to think about what a wreck he must have been when Crawford first found him."

 _*It wasn't pretty. Look sharp, boys, you're almost there - and we're coming up on your right side.*_ Sure enough, a sleek red sports car was coming up fast on their right, passing them and cutting abruptly in front of them to reach the driveway they wanted. Youji swore and stamped on the brakes, throwing them both into their safety belts. He followed Schuldig around a large house to where several expensive cars were parked in the extensive back yard. They were out in the country now, well beyond the city limits where the distance between houses was great enough that you had to strain to make out your neighbours.

Schuldig and Nagi had exited the car in front of them, and Omi was already throwing his door open. Belatedly Youji unbuckled himself, climbing out of the car and shedding his trench coat. Schuldig was dressed in a complimentary - albeit fancier - outfit to Youji's, in black and green. His hair was out of its usual confining bandana, falling attractively around his face and making him look younger and softer - until you looked into the frozen jade chips that passed for his eyes. There was no doubt that he'd seen more of the dark side of life than anyone had a right to.

Nagi was dressed identically to Omi, save that he shimmered silver while Omi glowed golden. Omi immediately raced over to hug him, whispering something in his ear that made the younger boy blush. The smiles on both their faces were proof enough that they'd missed each other.

 _*Liebe is stronger when Katzchen is around,*_ Schuldig commented, watching the pair giggling together with an oddly wistful smile on his own face. _*They're good for each other, I think. Omi has shown him that it's possible to be submissive and still stand up for yourself when it's necessary. And they have missed each other - more than even I realized.*_

Youji suddenly felt guilty for separating them. After all, if not for him, Omi would still be with these two. He was depriving them of the happiness of being together...

 _*So tell him to come visit Nagi once in a while,*_ Schuldig cut off his train of thought before he could get depressed. _*He's happier with you than he ever would have been if he'd stayed with us - he just misses his friend. If you'd stop being jealous of the time he's had with us, you'd realize that.*_

"I am not jealous!" Youji protested, remembering only at the last moment to keep his voice down so the boys wouldn't hear him. They looked like a pair of kittens cuddled together, unbearably adorable as they whispered and giggled with their velvet tails swishing against their thighs. The identical outfits enhanced the contrasts between them - Nagi dark and small and painfully thin, shy and quiet; Omi bright and bouncy and impossibly genki, gesturing excitedly as he talked. Nagi was opening up to him even as Youji watched, responding to Omi's energy like a flower responded to the sun.

"You're incredibly jealous, and until you admit it you're never going to get over it," Schuldig told him in the same low tones. "They've both been starved for affection, and they're cuddly as a result. If you try to keep Omi from being affectionate with anyone but you, you're just asking for a world of hurt."

"I don't try to keep Omi from being affectionate!" Youji hissed back, frowning and trying to convince himself that the ache in his chest was NOT jealousy. "He's always hanging out with Ken..."

"You know Ken doesn't have any interest in him," Schuldig retorted. "Or at least, he didn't - I don't know if he could honestly say the same after Katzchen's little show tonight." He smirked. "You feel threatened by Nagi and I, and if you keep showing it as obviously as you are now, you're going to blow our covers tonight - not to mention making him miserable."

 _*Here, I'll prove it to you,*_ he added mentally. _*Katzchen, how do you feel about Liebe and I?*_ He was answered by a surprised burst of warm affection, gratefulness, and love as sweet as honey. The jealousy surged in Youji's chest, and he couldn't deny it to himself. If Omi felt that strongly about them, maybe he really SHOULD let him go back to them... _*Stop it, I'm not finished. How do you feel about Youji?*_

Youji was nearly knocked back off his feet by the force of the mental outpouring, so strong he could almost taste it. The previous feelings were like a candle held up to the sun, swamped by the emotions Omi was projecting. He felt humbled, and wasn't surprised when tears sprang to his eyes. A moment later his arms were full of warm snuggly teenager, holding him tightly and whispering reassurances in his ear.

"I'm sorry I doubted you, bishounen," Youji whispered back to him guiltily. Omi pulled back and smiled up at him brightly.

"It's okay, Yo-chan. I'd be jealous in your position, too. I know it's hard for you to understand how I feel about them." The teen grinned at Schuldig. "Isn't telepathy great, though? You can never mistake what someone's really saying, even on a concept as slippery as 'love'."

 _*Incoming,*_ Schuldig warned them, and Omi pulled away from him. A few moments later, they heard the crunching of tires on gravel as another car approached. _*Let's get this show on the road, gentlemen.*_

He turned and started off for the back door of the two-story house, Youji trailing along behind. Omi and Nagi flanked them a few paces back, on either side. The building was neither imposing nor impressive, and Youji frankly wondered how the crowd of people suggested by the number of cars could possibly fit inside. _*You'll see,*_ Schuldig assured him smugly.

He did indeed see, as a servant wearing a g-string and collar and nothing else opened the door. They were directed down a flight of narrow stairs, that opened out on a room much bigger than the house above it suggested. At that, it was clearly only one room of many. Dozens of people milled about, slaves and Masters both. Distantly he could hear the beat of music, occasionally getting louder for a moment when someone opened a door on the far side. Several people had drinks in their hands, though there was no sign of a bar.

"Schuldig!" A woman greeted them, sweeping up with two male slaves in tow. "It's been a while, my dear. I see you've managed to retrieve your Katzchen - but isn't this the man who took him from you?" She peered at Youji in surprise and thinly concealed curiosity.

"He was a friend of Katzchen's who misunderstood the situation, Kestra," Schuldig answered smoothly. "We've worked things out between ourselves, and I've agreed to train him. Katzchen is on loan to him until he proves his worth."

One thinly-plucked brow arched haughtily. "How very generous of you. But I don't believe I've ever seen you at one of these revels before. You've always been such a softie with your slaves."

Schuldig's eyes narrowed dangerously, but his voice stayed light. "Just exploring some alternatives, Kestra. The mainstream parties haven't been the same since Darkling-sama left."

 _*Darkling-sama is gone?*_ Omi repeated in surprise.

 _*Just after you left,*_ Nagi told him. _*He was called back to Norway by his government. Things have been falling to pieces ever since - no one's been able to come out clearly on top in the fight for the succession.*_

 _*That's when the kidnappings first started,*_ Omi said thoughtfully. _*Could they be related?*_

 _*I wouldn't be surprised,*_ Schuldig replied grimly. _*Darkling kept a sharp eye on this crowd, to make sure they didn't overstep their bounds. One of the many jobs that are the reason I have no desire to take the leadership. I bet they grabbed the chance the moment his plane left the ground.*_

 _What's our best bet for finding these creeps?_ Youji asked as Schuldig bowed to the woman and led them on into the room.

_*I didn't recognize the picture of the collar Katzchen showed me, so it's someone I don't know well. Not one of the mainstreamers who also attend these parties. I'll concentrate on everyone I don't recognize, see what I can pick out of their surface thoughts. Sooner or later I'll find the guy you want, or at least one of them.*_

_*He won't be out here,*_ Omi said decisively. _*The bar or the dance floor, probably.*_

 _*Or the show room,*_ Schuldig agreed. _*It's out behind the dance floor, so we'll just work our way through the rooms. You two up to it?*_

He got eager assent from two sides, and laughed silently. "Mirror," he said aloud. "Front and center."

Omi and Nagi left their respective Masters' sides and drifted out in front of them, falling into step. No, more than that, Youji realized - they were matching each other exactly, the tiniest gesture from one echoed by the other in perfect synchrony. He was aware of a low background humming in his mind, like quiet static on a TV screen.

 _*They're coordinating with each other, that's what you're hearing,*_ Schuldig told him in amusement. _*It took them a while to perfect it, but they never miss now. Check out the looks they're getting.*_

People were staring at the two boys, moving smoothly in tandem as though they were operating from one brain. They deserved the stares - they looked incredibly sexy, a matched set that radiated sensual seductiveness. The graceful sinuosity of their movements screamed 'screw me', as did the twin looks of sleepy pleasure on their faces. Youji swallowed hard and tried to control his own reaction.

Omi held the door while the two older men went through, Nagi mimicking his pose on the opposite side of the doorway. Schuldig gestured to the dance floor, and the two boys moved to join the crowd of people there while Youji and Schuldig settled into two of the chairs ringing the sunken floor.

The space was crowded with dancers, mostly pets with a few Doms here and there, but a space quickly grew up around the two boys. They danced together, still mirroring each other's movements, their bodies now pressing together, now apart in perfect rhythm to the beat. It was just about the most erotic thing Youji had ever seen - he'd been exposed to some impressive dirty dancing in his time, but he doubted they could have been any sexier had they actually been screwing standing up.

"Dear gods," he breathed out, shifting to ease the bulge in his pants as the teens kissed passionately. Across the room he heard a wolf-whistle and someone started clapping when they didn't come up for air after a few seconds. They were still dancing, holding each other tightly while they moved to the beat.

"Impressive, aren't they?" Schuldig agreed smugly. "You've noticed the number of Masters with two similar looking slaves, ne? Ever since Katzchen joined us, everyone has been trying to copy their act. No one has even come close to the two of them."

 _Because they're communicating telepathically,_ Youji concluded. Schuldig nodded.

 _*That, and because they genuinely love each other,*_ Schuldig agreed. _*You can fake passion easily enough, but affection and caring are much harder. If they didn't like each other, they wouldn't be able to synchronize their minds so easily.*_

They watched the two boys for a few moments, each appreciating the sight in his own way. Youji was surprised to realize that he was warming to his German companion. When he'd first seen Omi with Schuldig in that club months ago, he'd thought his youngest teammate had gone out of his mind. Now, feeling and seeing the affection between them, he thought he understood a little better. Schuldig was still a jerk at heart, but apparently he had his good spots.

 _*Don't get too mushy on me, Weiss,*_ the telepath snickered at him. _*My ego is already big enough, as Omi will be happy to tell you.*_

 _*Schuldig, my two o'clock, thirty feet,*_ Omi broke in on them. _*Do you see him?*_

Both men scanned the crowd in the indicated area. Omi and Nagi continued to dance, seemingly oblivious to the people around them. _*I've got him,*_ Schuldig finally said, and projected the image to help Youji find him. _*Is that the one?*_

_*Yeah, that's him. He hasn't taken his eyes off us since we got to the dance floor. Not unusual in and of itself, but - there's just something about him...*_

Schuldig's eyes narrowed as he dug deeper into the man's brain. He made a disgusted noise deep in his throat. _*Not the one we're after, but God, what a little cesspit. I haven't seen anything that sordid since Masafumi.*_

Omi projected an involuntary burst of revulsion and fear, and Schuldig chuckled. _*Right, I keep forgetting you're the white sheep in that family. Must have been interesting, growing up with him as a brother.*_

 _*I try not to think about it, actually,*_ the boy replied flatly, the very emotionlessness of his tone revealing his feelings on the subject. _*What little I do remember just makes me glad that I don't remember the rest.*_

Another few minutes went by, Youji scanning the crowd visually as Schuldig let his mind drift. Nagi and Omi continued dancing, hands on each other's asses as they swayed together. Only Youji and Schuldig had any idea how much attention the boys were actually paying to their surroundings.

Schuldig twitched beside him, and Youji glanced over to see him slumped back in his chair, his eyes half closed as if he were sleepy or tipsy. _*Dead ahead, just coming through the door - the chick in PVC with the frightened, mousy little slave behind her. See her?*_

One by one they tracked her, each sending confirmation as they found the woman Schuldig was indicating. _*That kid is NOT old enough to be here legally!*_ Omi pointed out, focusing on the terrified little creature scurrying along behind her.

 _Neither are you two,_ Youji pointed out.

 _*He's not here willingly,*_ Nagi answered softly. _*I looked like that, once.*_

 _*He's one of the kidnapping victims,*_ Schuldig confirmed. _*Poor little bastard. She's an empty-headed bitch, but I'm finally getting deep enough now. She's one of four people involved. They're behind the kidnappings as well as the murders - they've been taking pretty girls and boys off the streets to serve as their private slaves, at least until they break their toys.*_

Youji thought he saw Nagi shiver, and he felt a wave of unease. Reassurance flooded through the link. _*We won't let them near you, Nagi,*_ Omi hastened to assure him.

 _*Remember, I promised you that you'd never, ever have to go back to that,*_ Schuldig agreed, punctuating the words with a strong burst of determination. Youji could feel Nagi's relief, and it startled him a little. Knowing intellectually what sort of abuse creates a personality like Nagi's, and truly understanding it in application, were two very different things. Suddenly he understood why Omi was so careful to always be supportive of the boy.

 _*She's meeting with the other three people involved later tonight,*_ Schuldig told them with some satisfaction after a few more minutes of probing. _*They're out snagging the latest victim, apparently, while she cases this place for any other potential toys. Do we jump her now, or wait till she meets the others?*_

 _*Wait,*_ Omi decided. _*Even if you get their names and images from her head, if she doesn't show up at the appointed time, they might get spooked and go into hiding. Besides which, Kritiker is going to want to know why we decided this woman was involved with no visible evidence. We'll catch them all in the act.*_

_*We've got about half an hour, then. I'll keep an eye on her, but otherwise we might as well enjoy ourselves.*_

There was a brief murmur that Youji couldn't quite understand, that he thought might be a conference between Omi and Nagi. His suspicion was confirmed when Omi declared, _*We're getting tired of dancing. If we do this much longer we're going to go crazy with frustration.*_ Youji could see why - the two had been plastered all over each other for most of the last half hour, rubbing their bodies together and kissing passionately. He could feel echoes of the sexual tension between them through the link. _*Besides, we're thirsty.*_

Schuldig stood and gestured at the boys, who immediately broke apart and headed back to the table. They were both flushed and breathing heavily, and there was no mistaking their arousal. It made them look even more attractive, if such a thing was possible. "Drinks," Schuldig ordered. "You've got two minutes." _*The bar is through the door to the left,*_ he added mentally. _*There's not much of a crowd, so you should be okay, but hurry. I DON'T want to have to punish you - this party won't be satisfied with the usual stuff, and I don't want to hurt either of you. Besides which, we need to be free to follow this chick.*_ He glanced ostentatiously at his watch as the boys both nodded and scurried off.

 _*What do you want, Gebieter?*_ Nagi asked as they disappeared from sight.

 _*My usual,*_ he replied, and glanced at Youji. _*And coke for Yotan here. Make sure they don't try to slip any alcohol - or other things - into the drinks. We want to be clear headed.*_

There was a feeling of assent, and the boys' presence faded. Youji blinked. _I can see where this telepathic communication would come in REAL handy on missions,_ he mused. _There've been times when we've gotten scattered because the radios were down._

Schuldig just grinned at him, and leaned back in his seat. _*ARE you going to let Omi see more of Nagi?*_ he asked instead of replying.

Youji bit his lip and considered it. The question of jealousy was moot - that had more than been settled by the demonstration earlier. Just thinking about it made his chest squeeze tight with emotion. He hoped his own feelings felt half that strong to Omi. Obviously, Omi was capable of loving him completely and totally, and still having plenty left over to share with Nagi and Schuldig. It seemed like a contradiction, but it wasn't. Nagi certainly needed the affection - he could see why Omi tried to spend time online with his friend when Schuldig was away. The poor kid had only two people who cared about him in the entire world - maybe three, but Youji wasn't sure what the dynamics between Crawford and his youngest teammate were. Omi at least had all the rest of Weiss, Manx and Birman, and all his school friends.

There still remained the original objection - Schwartz was their enemy. But... Omi had already dealt with that once. Who knew, perhaps the continued relationship would lead to the end of enmity between the two groups. HE certainly wouldn't mind not having to face down the powerful psychics any more!

What if Ken and Aya discovered the secret? Well, Youji had been able to accept it. Maybe they would as well. It would inevitably lead to fights and some tense times, but he was fairly certain the group would stay in one piece through the confrontation, and maybe even come out stronger than before.

 _Yes,_ he finally decided. _Nagi needs him - and I can't be there for Omi ALL the time. So long as he tells me what's going on, it's okay with me._

 _*And if something happens between them? Or with me, for that matter?*_ Schuldig persisted.

 _I'm not saying I'll be thrilled about it, but... I'll deal. So long as I always know he loves me..._ Youji cursed. He hadn't meant to articulate that last bit - it was hard to keep your insecurities hidden from a telepath!

Schuldig snorted. _*If after everything you did to him before he got together with Nagi and me, he was still willing to love you - I don't think you've got anything to worry about. Baka.*_ He checked his watch and frowned. _*Where the hell are they? They've got less than fifteen seconds...*_

_*GEBIETER!*_

The wave of panic that hit them staggered them both, sending them reeling against the table. _*YOUJI! We've got trouble!*_ Omi added hard on Nagi's heels. _*We're surrounded, can't get out. Help!*_

They both bolted for the door to the barroom, abandoning dignity to reach their lovers quickly. They garnered more than a few stares as they moved, it being unusual for any Dom to act with such haste. Usually the only people you saw scurrying around at a party like this were subs with a time limit.

They burst into the bar, and found Omi and Nagi surrounded by a tight knot of onlookers. The perpetrators seemed to be just a few men near the center - the others were rubbernecking. Nagi was cowering behind Omi, hands clutching his friend's shirt as he peeked out over his shoulder. Omi had planted himself defiantly between the shy pet and their aggressors. The carpet around them was littered with glass shards and soaked with liquid.

"Get down on your god damned knees and lick it up, you little bastard!" One of the men was snarling. It was the gutter-minded jerk who'd been eyeing them earlier on the dance floor, backed up by a group of his friends. He had the butt of an uncoiled whip in his hand, and it looked like he was just itching to use it. Omi stared back at him, not budging an inch while Nagi shook behind him.

"Looks like I'm going to have to teach you brats a lesson about respect," the man sneered, and drew back the whip for the first shot. His wrist was caught fast in Schuldig's fist, the taller German looming over the portly man dangerously.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded, the fury in his eyes belying the calmness in his voice. Youji glared from a few feet behind him. "That's MY property you were about to raise your whip to."

Omi had turned and was hugging Nagi tightly, whispering telepathic reassurances to the shaking boy. He glanced back over his shoulder, watching Schuldig and the man carefully.

"The little snot wouldn't obey an order!" the man whined, struggling to free his wrist from Schuldig's grasp. The redhead tightened his grip, grinding the bones together until the man yelped with pain.

"Katzchen, what happened?" Schuldig asked Omi. The boy blinked back at him, silent, and Youji wondered if Omi had actually been scared too much to talk. "You can speak," the German added finally, with a small smile, and Youji clued in. Of course they wouldn't be allowed to speak without permission.

"We were coming back to you with the drinks, Gebieter," he said, lowering his eyes demurely to the floor. "Someone bumped into Liebchen - I didn't see it, I was looking down. Then he," he nodded at the man Schuldig was holding by the wrist, "snatched the drink out of my hand and threw it on the floor. They were trying to get us to lick it up, but I wouldn't let Liebe do it -he'd cut his mouth to shreds, and you told me to look out for him." Nagi was peeking past him at his Master, as though he was afraid he would be punished, which of course he was.

 _*You did exactly the right thing, Liebchen, Katzchen,*_ Schuldig told them firmly. Nagi brightened visibly. The telepath rounded on his captive furiously.

"They ignored you because they both have orders that they're not to obey anyone but me or Greeneyes," Schuldig growled at him. "What the hell gives you the right to try to supercede that? Who the fuck do you think you are?"

The man was crying with pain now, blubbering openly as he sank to his knees. Most of his friends drew back, frightened, but a few stayed put belligerently. "You ain't got no status in this circle, bub," one of them blustered. "Mainstream status don't mean a thing here. You gotta fight for it - none of that pansy-assed 'first blood' shit the mainstreamers do."

"Is that a challenge?" Schuldig asked, his voice low and dangerous. He released the man's wrist, and turned to face this newest braggart. "Fine. I accept. Clear the ring."

Instantly a wave of whispers swept back from them, and an alley appeared magically through the crowd. In the other room the dance music came to a halt, and the sunken dance floor was cleared hastily. Schuldig stormed out into the makeshift ring, waiting impatiently for his challenger to follow.

The man wasn't so sure about his bravery now - Schuldig was well known as a vicious fighter, Youji gathered from the whispered gossip around him. Prodded on by his friends and not willing to lose face, he finally stepped into the ring as well, and the gap filled behind him with curious onlookers.

Someone, presumably the person with the highest rank present, stepped forward to officiate. "You fight until one of you calls for mercy, or one of you is dead or unconscious or otherwise unable to continue. Stay in the ring. No outside help. No firearms or other long-range weapons. Begin!"

They started circling each other, Schuldig in a low knife-fighter's crouch and the other man stamping along awkwardly. The challenger was more massive than the German, and not all of it was flab - there were muscles under that layer of fat. However, it was obvious that he relied on bullying and brute strength to get his way; Youji knew he had no chance against the German.

 _*I'm going to draw this out,*_ Schuldig told them absently, concentrating on watching his opponent's torso. _*The more bloody I make this, the less likely someone ELSE will step up after him.*_

He feinted to the left, and the man spun to block there. Schuldig laughed aloud, making a rude gesture as he skipped away again. The man growled, and apparently decided to try the tactic of getting Schuldig too mad to fight straight.

"You're not even enough of a man to keep control of your own subs," he sneered with bravado. "I keep hearing people go on and on about how your pets know what you want without you even telling them - bullshit! They do whatever the hell they want, and you just claim you ordered them to do it later. If you had enough balls to keep them in line, they wouldn't have disobeyed me like that!"

Youji saw Schuldig's eyes fill with fire, and he knew the man had made a fatal error. He had indeed made the German truly angry - and an angry Schuldig was a terrifying sight to see. He had more than enough training to be able to channel his anger properly, giving him more intensity instead of making him lose his head.

"Die, fucker," the telepath growled, and a knife abruptly appeared in his right hand. He lunged for the man, who scrambled backwards hastily, terror evident on his face. Schuldig's features were a mask of cold fury, his green eyes blazing with hatred and bloodlust. The crowd cheered, surging forward to shrink the ring and force them into closer confrontation. Youji had been hovering protectively over the two boys, but was now separated from them by the crowd.

Schuldig slashed out with short, sharp jabs, delivering shallow gashes to the man each time. The jerk belatedly tried to block, succeeding only in getting his forearm cut to ribbons of flesh. Blood dripped onto the dance floor, making the footing slippery and uncertain at best. Schuldig kept his balance with the ease of long practice, while his opponent skidded about frantically.

Youji tried to push back against the crowd to reach the teens, but there was no getting past the press of people. He caught Omi's eye; his teammate gestured towards one of the alcoves that held chairs ringing the dance floor, and started to haul Nagi towards it. Since they were more or less on the edge of the crowd, they were having less trouble moving against the flow. He saw them huddle into the safety of the empty niche before the crowd cut off his view once more.

A sudden shout from the observers brought his attention back to the fight - the man had produced his own knife and had actually managed to draw blood on the redhead, a thin red line tracing down his off arm. Youji was impressed - that was more than any of Weiss had ever managed to do.

 _*Don't be, Weiss,*_ Schuldig told him curtly. _*I let him make that strike. Now he's over confident again - he was almost starting to fight intelligently.*_

Indeed, the man was swaggering, brandishing his two-inch longer knife as though it somehow guaranteed him the battle. Schuldig remained in his crouch, balanced and ready to dart in any direction on an instant's notice.

 _*Our girl is on the move!*_ Omi alerted them suddenly, breaking Schuldig's concentration briefly. He had to move fast to dodge an incoming swing, but he turned the move to his advantage and scored a nasty wound on the man's leg. _*Finish it fast, Schu... we've got to follow her.*_

Schuldig grunted his assent, and moved in for the kill. With a series of blindingly fast slashes and thrusts, he backed the man towards the edge of the circle. The jerk's arrogance was gone, vanished along with his cocksure attitude, replaced by mortal terror. He knew the look of a killer when he saw it - and he was staring his own death straight in the eyes.

There was a choked off cry from the side of the ring, barely audible over the noise of the excited crowd. It was accompanied by a wave of surprise and fear, and a cutoff mental shout. _*OM...*_

Youji suddenly had a blinding headache, washing up from the back of his neck as though he'd been clubbed on the skull. He staggered, dizzy, surprised that he was still conscious and searching for his attacker. No one around him was even looking his way - they were all concentrating on the ring, where Schuldig was likewise backing away, dazed. After a moment, he realized that the pain wasn't his, but one of his comrades'.

 _*Who's down?*_ Schuldig demanded, glancing wildly around the ring. _*Report!*_

 _*I'm fine,*_ Youji answered, searching for the spot where Omi and Nagi had gone off to. There was no sign of the two boys, and no response from either. _*Shit! I can't find Omi or Nagi!*_

Schuldig's opponent was taking advantage of his momentary disorientation, charging him in a bullrush. Schuldig straightened up and glared at him - the man stopped in his tracks, turned pale, and fell screaming to the floor, clutching his head. "I don't have time for this," the telepath snarled, spinning towards where Nagi and Omi had been and gesturing at the crowd. Instantly people scrambled aside, not knowing why they were moving but suddenly possessed by a driving urge to get out of the way. Youji shoved his way through the crowd and followed the German as he strode down the pathway to the side of the room.

Nagi was just sitting up, one hand to his head as he reeled dizzily. Youji caught a wave of nausea, and had to swallow hard to suppress his own gag reflex. Schuldig crouched down next to his pet, his eyes scanning the area even as he touched Nagi's shoulder reassuringly.

"What happened, Liebe?" he murmured aloud as Youji joined them. The telekinetic sobbed and threw himself into his Master's arms.

"I'm sorry," he cried, burying his face in the German's shoulder. "They caught me by surprise, I didn't see them coming. I couldn't stop them!"

Schuldig pulled him away and took his chin in one hand. "Who, Liebe? Who hit you? Where's Katzchen?"

"It was that woman, the one we were going to follow," he gasped out between his sobs. "They hit me first, and I went down - I didn't pass out, but I couldn't seem to get myself together enough to use my powers. Then they clamped a cloth over Katzchen's face and dragged him off - I didn't see where they went. I'm sorry, Gebieter!"

"Shh, it's all right, you did the best you could," Schuldig reassured him, turning a grim face to Youji. The White Hunter gritted his teeth, wanting to jump up and chase after Omi right away - but Nagi was injured and frightened, and they had to deal with that first.

In fact... Youji frowned, and held up one hand in front of the boy's face. "Follow my finger," he instructed, and moved it back and forth. Nagi tried, but his eyes kept unfocussing and sliding away from Youji's hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Four?" Nagi replied uncertainly, squinting at the two fingers he had raised. Schuldig swore.

"He's got a concussion - that's why he couldn't use his powers," he concluded furiously. "When I get my hands on the bastards that hit him..." He growled and smacked his fist into his palm. _*I can't even track Omi, because he's unconscious. They must have gassed him! I won't be able to find him until he wakes up.*_

 _We need to get to my car,_ Youji replied. _We've all got subcutaneous inertial trackers, but the range on them isn't very good. If we move now, we may still be able to follow them._

Schuldig gathered Nagi up into his arms, and stood. The crowd had miraculously been ignoring them - more of Schuldig's influence, Youji realized as another clear path opened before them. The telepath was broadcasting fury on all levels, and no one with even a hint of sensitivity wanted to be anywhere near him. They strode through the door to the receiving room, took the stairs three at a time and burst out into the open in record time. "Do we split up, or just take my car?" Youji asked as they ran for the vehicles.

"Your car," Schuldig decided. "I can't drive and concentrate on tracking Omi at the same time. We'll have to make do with that pitiful excuse for a backseat of yours."

Youji had left the top down, and he didn't even bother with the door, hopping over the side to the front seat. Schuldig set Nagi down in the back and strapped him in with an admonition to hang on tight, then mirrored the playboy's move into the passenger seat. "Let's go," he snarled, and Youji stamped on the gas.

"Flip the lid of the computer," he directed, gesturing at the tiny laptop bolted to the console. Schuldig did so, and it booted up, its humming all but inaudible over the rushing wind around them. In one corner of the screen a directional pointer appeared, hovering in the center of the window. "Type in Omi's code name," Youji said, and Schuldig obeyed; the pointer flashed for a moment before swinging around to the east. Youji wrenched the wheel around, spinning the car until the arrow was pointing straight ahead again.

He swore as the tracker flashed again, fading out for a long moment before reappearing off center. He turned again, adjusting his course to try to keep the indicator straight as it faded in and out of sight. "They're right on the edge of our range," he muttered darkly. "How the hell did they move out so fast?"

"Why take Omi and not Nagi?" Schuldig countered. "Using the diversion of the fight was brilliant, but everyone saw what started it. They must have known that Omi would give them more trouble than Nagi. Why take him? For that matter, why not take them both?"

"More importantly, how did they know that they had to knock Nagi out first?" Youji shot back. "If they'd ignored him and just tried to take Omi, he'd have blasted them through the wall."

Schuldig considered it. "Irrelevant," he finally decided. "No one in this crowd knows who and what we are, to my knowledge. Maybe they were intending to take both of them, and we rushed them?"

Nagi spoke up from behind them, his voice pained but steady. "They wanted Omi, not me, or they'd have gassed me, too. I'm already broken - no challenge, no interest for them. Omi still has his spirit. I don't think they did know about my powers, I just think they didn't want to take the chance that I would draw attention to them." Youji glanced at him in the rearview mirror, and saw that his lower lip was trembling and there were tears on his face. "Schu, I'm sorry. I should have been paying more attention - I should have been able to stop them! I..."

Schuldig twisted around to face him, silencing him with a look. "Stop, Liebe. You're not perfect, you were still shaken from what happened earlier, and none of us were expecting trouble. Omi's just as trained as you are, he wasn't shaken, he had warning because he saw you go down, and he still couldn't stop them. It's not anyone's fault, certainly not yours."

"Omi wouldn't want you beating yourself up over it, kid," Youji added sympathetically. The poor boy looked wretched, like he wanted to curl up on himself and die. "Just like if you'd been taken, you wouldn't blame him for not stopping them."

Schuldig swore in German as the tracker blinked out entirely. Youji skidded to a stop, not wanting to miss a turn and head off in the wrong direction. They were out of range - now it would be up to Schuldig to track him once he awoke.

"I can't believe they managed to grab him right out from under us!" Youji muttered, pounding his fist on the steering wheel in frustration. "Four trained assassins, and we didn't even see it coming!"

"Calm down," Schuldig snapped at him. "I can't read anything through the anger you're projecting." Youji made an effort, settling into his seat and seething as quietly as he could manage.

"We'll get him back," Nagi assured him, leaning forward intently. The fierceness in the telekinetic's blue eyes was surprising, given how shy and retiring the youth generally was. "And if they lay one hand on him, Schu and I will tear them to pieces."

Youji blinked at him, startled by the sudden change. _*Nagi won't ever stand up for himself, but when it comes to someone he loves...*_ Schuldig gave a mental shrug. _*People who've been through a lot and can still remain innocent fascinate him - it's the same thing that drew him to Tot. That's why he begged me to rescue Omi that very first night - he didn't want to see Katzchen go through the same kind of horror he'd experienced.*_

Youji felt an echo of something else in the sending, something that had more of a personal feel to it; he had the odd feeling that Schuldig would have rescued Omi with or without Nagi's prompting, but didn't want to admit it. He suddenly recalled Omi mentioning once that Schuldig had also been a sub as a teen, with an abusive Master. He wondered what the difference between them was, that Schuldig had come out far less damaged than Nagi.

 _*I was seventeen the first time, Nagi was four,*_ Schuldig shot back at him tersely. _*I was a sub against my will for a little over a year - Crawford rescued Nagi when he was thirteen. That answer your questions?*_

Youji was a little taken aback by the hostility in the German's mental voice. Then again, he supposed it was probably a touchy subject. He nodded, a little humbled. He'd always thought of the members of Schwartz as just 'the Bad Guys', as though they'd somehow been born twisted and evil. There WERE people like that in the world - Masafumi was a good example of someone rotten from the start - but he was now realizing that there was much more to the psychics than he'd ever imagined.

 _*Don't feel sorry for us, Weiss,*_ The German berated him. _*We may not have been born evil, but we made our choices of our own free will. Omi's been through nearly as much shit as Nagi - even if he doesn't remember it all, he still turned out a hell of a lot more decent than us. Different choices made, that's all.*_ He shrugged. _*I'm an asshole, I know it, I revel in it. It's a hell of a lot more fun than being a good guy - pays better, too.*_

"Look up what his name means sometime," Youji heard Nagi whisper in his ear. Schuldig turned and glared at the telekinetic, who shrank back in his seat, eyes wide.

"Not even you know everything about me, Nagichen," Schuldig growled, though he softened his expression when he saw how freaked the boy was. "Calm down, I'm not mad at you. I'm pissed off at this whole situation, okay?"

Nagi nodded hesitantly, but his eyes were shadowed again. Youji was searching for something that wasn't so tactless to say, when there was a muffled noise in the back of their minds, as of a sleeper awaking. Then panic, washing over them in a stifling wave. _*YOUJI!*_

 _I'm here, bishounen,_ he replied quickly, sending reassurance backed by both Schuldig and Nagi. _We're coming for you, Omittchi. Hang on._

"West," Schuldig told him, and he gunned the motor again. Gravel sprayed out behind them in a rooster tail as they tore down the country roads. "They're considerably ahead of us."

 _*They're here, all four of them,*_ Omi told them, the mission his highest priority even now. _*There's another girl in here with me as well - she looks about fifteen, she's terrified out of her mind. We're both tied hand and foot, and chained to the wall... wait, they're bringing over a key. I think they're taking me somewhere.*_

"Turn north a little," Schuldig instructed, and Youji twisted the wheel to obey. "We should be there in ten, maybe fifteen minutes."

"If I go any faster, I'm gonna tear out my undercarriage on this damn road," Youji growled, wincing as each pothole did more damage to his beloved car. He wouldn't have hesitated to run it into the ground to reach Omi, but he knew they'd never get there in time if the car blew out.

 _*Oh, shit.*_ Omi was trying to suppress his panic, and failing. _*This isn't good. Gods, what did they do, research every mediaeval torture chamber in existence? They're stringing me up by my wrists - damn, I'm blindfolded now. I... AH!*_

He screamed abruptly, making all their ears ring despite the fact that it hadn't been audible. Youji could feel the bite of the whip into his own back, before Schuldig closed the link partially. _OMI!_

 _*Hurts,*_ the boy whimpered, making Youji's heart squeeze in his chest. _*Gods, Youji, it hurts... help! Please, help... ah! No, PLEASE!*_ He screamed again, his mental projections becoming progressively less coherent as he lost control of his thoughts. Youji swore and gripped the steering wheel hard enough to dent it, cursing.

Schuldig had a similar death grip on the edges of his seat, and Youji could see how pale and strained he looked from the corner of his eyes. "Go west again," he ordered, and Youji turned to obey.

"Shit!" He wrenched the wheel around, spraying gravel wildly as the car fishtailed. They came to a jolting halt inches away from the stand of trees that stretched on as far as they could see in both directions. "Now what?"

"Go around it! There's got to be a driveway or something somewhere!" Schuldig snapped, sweating as he struggled to hang on to Omi's mind through his terror and pain. Youji debated, knowing that going the wrong way would mean added minutes before they could reach the boy. Swearing, he chose a direction and floored the gas again.

 _*No, please don't...*_ Omi begged piteously, terror, shame and revulsion radiating from his mind.

"What are they doing to him?" Youji demanded harshly, gritting his teeth to keep from biting his tongue off as they bounced over the potholes.

His answer came not in words, but in a sudden starburst of pain across his face, followed by an agonizing burning in his ass. The car skidded from side to side on the dirt road, and he nearly missed the turnoff into the forest in his confusion.

"Schuldig, you're leaking!" Nagi told him, shaking in reaction to the projected sensations.

"I know!" the telepath snapped back, voice strained almost to breaking. He was hyperventilating, his eyes closed as he struggled for control. "Can't... help it..." He grunted as another wave crashed over him, body jerking against the seat in involuntary convulsions.

 _*Omi, you're overwhelming him!*_ Nagi projected frantically, grabbing his Master by the shoulders and using his powers to help forcibly pin him to the seat. _*Damp it down!*_

 _*I can't... I can't... I'm sorry...*_ Omi sobbed helplessly. _*It hurts too much, oh god please don't I don't want you to Youji please help me koi I'm sorry...*_

He was cut off abruptly as Schuldig made a strangled noise and blacked out, his mind shutting down to protect him from the force of the emotions overtaking him. For a panicked moment Youji thought that meant they wouldn't be able to find Omi... then they topped a rise and a dilapidated old Shinto shrine came into view, a white van parked incongruously in front. Given that it was probably the only structure for miles in this direction, Youji had a feeling they'd found their targets.

He screeched to a halt beside the van, and was reaching for his trench and trick watch even before the motor had finished idling down. Schuldig was just coming to, blinking fuzzily and clutching his head, as Nagi watched him in concern. "Can you tell where he is?" Youji demanded, uncaring for the moment if the telepath was in pain. Omi was in a hell of a lot more pain, and would be in even more trouble if they didn't get there soon.

Schuldig shook his head, looking like the action hurt. "I have to keep my shields up," he whispered hoarsely, "or I'll black out again. It's too much for my system to handle. We'll have to search for him the old fashioned way. Nagi - you take point, we may need you to get through the debris around here."

Nagi nodded, his jaw firming with determination as he strode ahead of them. The air crackled around him, ruffling his clothes and hair as he gathered his powers to him, and suddenly he looked much more like the dangerous young man Youji was used to seeing in battle. He and Schuldig flanked him, Schuldig with gun in hand and Youji with a foot of his wire drawn and ready.

They raced through the abandoned buildings, following a trail of disturbance in the dust of decades. Their footsteps echoed hollowly back from the walls, the night around them silent as the forest life shrank away from the human intrusion.

"There!" Nagi pointed to a darker area ahead of them - a doorway into the inner recesses of the shrine. Youji thought he could vaguely make out the sound of screams from somewhere within, and his gloved hands tightened on his wire. Someone was going to pay for making his sweet Omi suffer.

They tore through a curtain into a dimly lit room, the same chamber of horrors Omi had described earlier. The young assassin was hanging by his wrists from a hook in the ceiling, blindfolded, nude and covered in blood. One of his captors looked up from behind him, pants around his thighs and his dark eyes wide with interrupted lust. Before Youji could even bring his hand up to throw his wire the man was blasted back away from his victim, tossed against the far wall with such force his skull cracked. He slid down the wall, leaving a bright red trail of blood behind him.

His companions were just now beginning to react to the situation, shocked by the abrupt entrance and the death of one of their members. Schuldig fired two shots in quick succession, sending the other two men crashing to the floor, even as Youji's wire sang out to snag the woman they'd seen in the club before she could cut Omi again. He tightened the metallic noose around the woman's throat, drawing it tight and lifting her right off the ground as he strangled the life from her. The knife in her hand dropped to the floor, and the sight of it covered in Omi's blood enraged Youji. He stared straight into her panicked eyes as she struggled weakly. "Who... who are you?" she gasped out with the last of her air, choking.

"Weiss," he growled, tightening the wire a little more and feeling her blood run freely down the wire and over his hands. "You picked the WRONG people to mess with, bitch."

He released her body to fall lifeless to the floor, and stood panting and trying to contain his rage. He was almost afraid to look over to where Omi still dangled, as if not seeing the damage done to him would somehow make it less real.

Schuldig cut the boy down with a knife, as Nagi supported Omi both physically and with his powers. Omi gasped as the blindfold was removed, crying in ragged bursts as they cuddled him closely. Youji swallowed hard, and felt rooted to the floor - from the undressed state of his captors, it was obvious he'd been raped, even without the evidence of the blood and semen running down his thighs.

Omi was babbling, hardly understandable through his tears. "I'm sorry, I couldn't stop them, I tried... Schu, I'm sorry, I couldn't stop projecting, I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"Stop it," Schuldig ordered him irritably, his gentle expression at odds with his harsh words. "You couldn't help it, baka. Stop apologizing!"

Nagi was examining the knife cuts on Omi's face impartially. They had obviously already begun the process of disfiguring him beyond recognition, though thankfully they hadn't gotten beyond the first few cuts. "These are going to scar," he said softly, his voice full of sorrow and sympathy. "If they're treated soon, though, it shouldn't be very visible."

Omi buried his face in Schuldig's shoulder, body shaking with relief and shame. Youji still couldn't move, uncertain what to say or do and not wanting to make his lover's anguish any worse.

"Will you get your fucking ass over here and HOLD him?" Schuldig hissed at him, glaring. Youji remained motionless, unable to get his body to function. _*You're making him think you're disgusted by him!*_ the telepath added mentally, apparently recovered enough to project again. _*Listen!*_ He dragged Youji into the link with Omi abruptly.

_*He's not coming why is he just STANDING there Youji please I need you don't hate me I'm sorry I tried to stop them please gods I feel so dirty and my face is damaged what if he doesn't want me any more what if he thinks I'm ugly what if he thinks I'm dirty oh gods what'llIdoifhedoesn'tlovemeanymore!*_

The flood of heart-wrenching emotions finally spurred Youji into action, and he sprinted over, dropped to his knees and took the unresisting teen into his arms. Nagi and Schuldig still kept contact with him, but let Youji take the bulk of his weight. "Hush, bishounen, I still love you, don't be silly," he murmured reassuringly, letting the words spill out of him without really thinking about them, knowing that the loving arms and soothing tone were what Omi really needed now. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt you more, I wasn't thinking. I love you koi, I'll always love you, no matter what. Even if you looked like Farfarello, I'd still think you were beautiful - you're beautiful inside, where it really counts."

"You know if he'd decided to be stupid, you could always have come back to Nagi and I," Schuldig added, whispering into his ear with a smirk and rubbing his trembling back with a strong hand. "You keep telling us that you don't care that we were both whores, why should we care if you'd been raped?"

Omi sniffled, and raised teary, bloodshot eyes to see their faces. "I'm sorry," he started to say, and was cut off by both Youji's and Schuldig's hands clamping down over his mouth.

"Stop apologizing," Youji ordered him mock-sternly. "You have every right to be upset right now, okay?"

"I'm sor... I didn't mean to..." Omi tried to rephrase what he was trying to say, and gave them a watery smile when he realized he couldn't. "I know better," he admitted softly, leaning gratefully into the triple embrace. "I've rescued enough abused people to know that it doesn't mean I'm not as good as I was..."

"You can't help but feel shamed after something like that," Nagi told him solemnly. "That's why they do it. They like the power of making you feel shamed by their actions. Cry it out, Omi - holding it in will only make it worse. Trust me, I know." His midnight eyes were full of pain and sorrow, and Omi turned to hug him tightly.

"I love you, Omi," the telekinetic whispered raggedly, his voice choked with his own tears. "You're the only truly good person who's never looked down on me. You make me believe I can be strong again."

"You can be," Omi answered him, even now more concerned with another's pain than with his own. "I love you too, Nagi. You know I do. I just understand you a little better now."

"I wish you didn't," Nagi replied honestly, tears in his eyes. "Someone like you should never have to go through that..."

"Shh," Omi hushed him, with another weak smile. "You didn't deserve it any more than I did, baka." He sighed, and turned back to snuggle against Youji. "Can we go home? Please? I... I want to get out of here..." He started to tremble again, his voice cracking on the last word. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm not totally together again yet..."

"Of course we can, bishounen," Youji soothed him, running a hand through his hair. He stood, letting Schuldig support Omi because the boy's shaking legs wouldn't take his weight, and shed his trench coat. He wrapped it around Omi's shoulders, and the boy clutched at it gratefully.

"What about the others?" Schuldig asked, jerking his head towards a locked door in the far wall. "There's at least two other kids in there - the boy we saw following bitch-queen around, plus the girl they kidnapped earlier tonight. The girl we can just send home - the boy is broken, he's gonna need help."

"Kritiker has programs set up to help people like that," Youji informed him. "If we can get them to the police hospital, they'll be taken care of. They won't all fit in my car - I guess we can use the van."

"I'll get them - I don't care about people knowing my identity as much as you do," Schuldig said, squeezing Omi's shoulder one last time and heading for the door.

"Be nice, Schu," Omi cautioned him, grinning weakly when Schuldig gave him a sardonic look in return. The telepath rolled his eyes and flipped the boy off, but Youji caught a glimpse of the reluctant grin on his face.

Nagi went to help Schuldig deal with the kids, and Youji guided Omi gently outside. He reluctantly decided that it would be best for them all to ride in the van - if Schuldig and Nagi showed up alone at the police hospital with two scared, injured kids in tow, they'd probably be in trouble. He'd have to come back out here the next day to retrieve his car. Just as well - he'd be able to avoid some of the worst of the potholes in daylight.

The keys were still in the ignition, the doors conveniently unlocked. "Overconfident," Omi murmured at the sight, and Youji nodded his agreement. There was room for only two people in the front of the van, and the back was just a padded box with a small sliding window to the front seat.

"You and Schu should ride up front," Omi decided. "They won't wonder about Nagi and I being in with them - we'll just look like two more victims. That should raise the least questions."

"You sure, bishounen?" Youji asked, loathe to let the boy out of his sight. "If you don't want to be alone..."

Omi smiled at him softly. "I'll be okay - I think I'm starting to recover now." Youji would have believed him more if his eyes hadn't looked like something in them was ready to break, but he decided not to argue. He helped the boy climb up into the back of the van, then scooted around to the driver's side as the two Schwartz psychics brought the other kids out. There were three - the woman's slave and the kidnapped girl, plus another young girl in a slave's outfit who was unconscious in Schuldig's arms. She couldn't have been more than ten or twelve, and Youji's mouth pulled down into a frown when he saw her. Briefly he wished the bastards were still alive, so he could take his time with killing them.

Schuldig set the girl down next to Omi, who gathered her close to him as Nagi settled in on his other side. The older girl was weeping with relief at being rescued as she climbed in, the slave boy following her with wide, uncertain eyes. Youji heard them whimpering through the window when Schuldig shut the doors, locking them into the darkness.

He started the van as Schuldig slid into the passenger's side, listening to Omi murmur reassurances to the kids as he put the van in gear. He drove as slowly as he could manage, knowing that each hole the vehicle hit jarred the kids and scared them more. Finally they reached the main road again, and the going went a little smoother.

It took them most of half an hour to reach the city limits, and another twenty minutes to get to the police hospital. It was well after midnight when they finally arrived, and there was no activity at the emergency entrance when Youji pulled up. Schuldig got out to let the kids out as he went on ahead to inform the duty nurse of the situation.

The kids trailed in, Omi limping awkwardly despite Nagi's support, holding the youngest girl's hand in his. The older girl had taken charge of the broken pet, herding him along before her like a mother hen with chicks. She was the only thing that kept him from bolting when the doctors and interns came pouring out; as it was both he and the little girl burst into tears at the frenetic activity going on around them.

"Be gentle - they're frightened," Omi cautioned the doctor who took the younger girl from him. The woman looked to be in her late thirties or early forties, and she nodded sympathetically.

"I've got a girl about her age," she murmured in reply, stroking the child's hair reassuringly. The girl's sobs quieted, and she turned her face to bury it in the woman's chest. "What happened? Car accident?"

"They're all kidnapping victims," Youji told her in an undertone, recognizing her as one of the Kritiker-affiliated doctors who tended Weiss' injuries from time to time. Her eyes widened, and she looked them all over again, taking in their strange outfits and exhausted looks. "They were taken to be used as 'pets' by some sadistic bastards. The oldest girl was taken tonight, we don't know how long they had the other two."

"You're... Balinese, yes?" she asked in hushed tones. He nodded. "What happened to Bombay?"

"He was taken as bait, and we couldn't get to him fast enough. The boy with him and the German are... friends," he finally settled on, hoping she didn't know anything about Schwartz.

Apparently they were in luck, because she simply nodded and gestured for Omi to follow her. The other two teens had already vanished into the depths of the hospital, to be treated and taken care of until they were ready to go back to their families.

Omi moved forward, Nagi still clinging to his hand. The doctor glanced at the telekinetic. "Are you injured?" she asked, eyeing him closely. He shook his head, and she frowned. "Then I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to wait out here."

Omi made a choked noise, and Youji saw his hand tighten on Nagi's. Then he took a deep breath, and drew away. "I'll be okay on my own," he told the other boy, though his voice betrayed him by trembling badly.

Nagi shook his head and looked stubborn. "I'm going in with you," he said determinedly. "You shouldn't be alone right now." He glared at the doctor for good measure, who was taken aback.

Schuldig looked surprised as well. _*What do you know, he does actually have a backbone,*_ he commented in some amusement. _*After all the hard work I've gone to in order to get him to stand up for himself, I'm certainly not going to countermand him now. She'll just have to deal with it.*_

"All right, fine," the doctor conceded, seeing that it would take much more effort to move the boy than was worth it. "But stay out of the way. YOU two will wait out here," she added, pinning Youji and Schuldig with stern looks. Youji grinned abashedly and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

It didn't take long - ordinarily Omi would have been there for hours while the police took a statement from him, but since Kritiker hardly wanted his involvement known, he was free to go as soon as the doctors were done cleaning his wounds. Two long knife wounds on his chest required stitches, as did some of the whip marks on his back, but the ones on his face thankfully only needed bandaging. He was still holding Nagi's hand as they came out, his eyes on the ground as they walked.

Youji stood and went to him immediately, pulling him into a tight hug. Omi responded slowly, and Youji frowned down at him. "What's wrong, bishounen?"

 _*Part of him still thinks you won't want him any more,*_ Schuldig told him, resting a gentle hand on the boy's head as he came to stand by Youji. _*It's natural enough, considering what he's just been through. Just keep holding him, and he'll be okay. He's tough.*_ There was a trace of admiration in Schuldig's voice that Youji couldn't help but echo.

"Let's go home, bishounen," Youji said, guiding them all to the outside doors. "We're only a few blocks from the Koneko," he told Schuldig and Nagi. "We can walk home from here - you two can take the van back to... wherever the hell you're hiding out now. We'll take Omi's bike up tomorrow or the next day and get my car."

Omi nodded numbly, but Youji and Schuldig both caught the burst of reluctance and need as he glanced over at Nagi. It was clear that he didn't want to let go of his friend - he was holding on to Nagi's hand like a lifeline, knuckles white his grip was so tight. Once again it was Nagi who actually objected to separating them.

"He shouldn't be alone right now," the telekinetic said, stubbornly hanging on to Omi. "He needs us."

"He won't be alone," Youji replied, frowning down at him. "I'm not going to just dump him in his room and wander off. Christ, what kind of insensitive bastard do you take me for?"

 _*You don't understand what he's going through right now,*_ Schuldig told him grimly. _*You've never been raped, you've never had to deal with this. He's scared and upset and he needs someone who will understand everything without him having to explain. Nagi's right.*_

Youji's mouth twitched. _I suppose I should just leave him with you two, then?_ he answered somewhat bitterly, hoping that the German would have the sense not to include Omi in this mental conversation. He was more than a little hurt that the Schwartz psychics thought that he wouldn't be any good to Omi right now.

 _*Don't be stupid, Weiss, and give me a little credit,*_ Schuldig retorted. _*He needs you just as much as he needs us.*_

 _Well, what the hell do you suggest, then?_ Youji demanded. _We can't just stand around here for the rest of the night, and we certainly can't all go back to the Koneko!_

Schuldig sighed, and raked a hand through his hair. "You two can both come back with us," he finally said aloud. "Nagi and I don't live with Crawford and Farfarello anymore - Omi's stayed with us before."

Omi turned a pleading look on Youji, with that delicate, breakable look in his eyes again. Youji sighed, and conceded. "All right, fine. But we'd better be back first thing tomorrow - for that matter, I'd better call Ken and let him know we'll be out all night as soon as we get there. They'll worry, otherwise."

They ended up leaving the van where it was for police evidence, and taking a taxi back to the small condominium Schuldig rented in the heart of Tokyo. It didn't look like much from the outside, but the inside was as lavish as any royalty could demand, Youji noted. He had to admit to a certain curiosity - so this was how the other side lived. It was certainly considerably more luxurious than their apartments at the Koneko.

 _*I told you being an arrogant bastard pays better,*_ Schuldig told him with some amusement as they made their way down the hallway, feet sinking into the three inch carpet. _*The bed is more than big enough for all of us - if we put the boys in the middle and bracket them, they'll feel safer, and YOU won't be so nervous.*_

 _I am not nervous!_ Youji replied, knowing it was a lie even as he said it. The butterflies in his stomach were threatening to explode - he couldn't believe he had agreed to this. He was about to sleep in the same bed with Schuldig and Nagi, for crying out loud! Schuldig smirked at him, laughing mentally.

He left the lights off as they entered the bedroom - there was just enough light coming through the big plate window for them to undress by. Omi shed Youji's trench coat as Nagi scrambled out of the kitten outfit, and they curled up together in the middle of the massive bed while the older two men did likewise. "You can borrow some of Nagi's clothes to get home tomorrow, Omi," Schuldig told him in a hushed whisper. Omi nodded sleepily.

Youji slid into the bed behind Omi, spooning the younger boy to him closely. Omi snuggled in, wiggling until he was comfortable, his arms still firmly around Nagi's slim body. Schuldig followed his example, and Youji felt the German's hands brush his as they settled around Nagi's torso. He could see the telekinetic's delicate features as he peered over Omi's shoulder, could make out the lanky form of Schuldig sprawled out behind him. It was strange, but it also felt comforting. Nagi draped his arms over Omi as well.

"Phone?" Youji suddenly remembered, cursing. He didn't want to get up again, but if he didn't call the Koneko Ken and Aya were going to send out search teams soon.

"There's a cordless on the table beside you," Schuldig told him lazily. Youji disengaged from Omi just long enough to grab the indicated appliance.

He punched in the number for Ken's apartment from memory, not even needing light to see by. He listened, frowning when no one picked it up after five rings. The answering machine clicked on, and he decided to leave a message, hoping they weren't already out searching.

"Kenken, it's Youji. We're not going to be..."

He was cut off by a thump, then a scrambling sound as if the receiver had fallen and someone was trying to pick it up. "Youji?" Ken's voice came back over the line, sounding breathless. "What's up?"

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up," Youji told him, surprised that the other man had actually gone to sleep. Usually when only a few of them were out on a mission, the others would wait up until they got home, in case something happened.

"I wasn't asleep," Ken replied hastily, still sounding out of breath. "I was just... uh... busy. Yeah, I was busy. You guys okay?"

Youji blinked. Something weird was going on here. "Yeah, we're fine - we got the targets. We're not gonna be back tonight, though - Omi took a little damage, and his Master offered to let us crash for the night. He's fine, don't worry."

"Oh. That's good..." Ken's voice broke on the last word, and he made an undignified noise. The receiver was muffled for a moment, and Youji thought he heard the ex-soccer player hiss, "Quit it!" before he returned. "Sorry, got distracted. Sure, that's fine - I guess we'll see you guys tomorrow. Uh, have fun!"

He hung up abruptly, and Youji stared at the cordless phone in disbelief. Slowly, a wide grin spread across his face, and he started to chuckle.

"What is it, Youji?" Omi asked sleepily, peering up at him.

"I think your wish got answered, bishounen," Youji told him, putting the phone back where it belonged. When Omi just blinked up at him uncomprehendingly, he elaborated. "Kenken sounded just a wee bit distracted - and that was not a woman's voice I heard chuckling in the background." Omi's eyes were as wide as saucers, and Youji added, "Who would have thought Aya had a playful side? I think we should get back late tomorrow. REAL late."

Giggling, Omi cuddled into his arms again, pleased. Sleep overtook them quickly, carrying them all off into dreams with the gentle arms of a lover.

 

* * *

Youji awoke to a soft murmuring, hearing husky gasps and hushed moans of pleasure from somewhere beside him. Omi's back was warm against his front, and he could feel the tenseness of the boy's muscles. He was warm and comfortable, and it was far too early to wake up, but the noises were making him curious.

Omi gasped again and arched against him, rubbing his backside firmly against Youji's morning erection. Sleepily he wondered why his koi had decided to start without him. Omi was always eager first thing in the morning, but usually he woke Youji up instead of tending to it himself.

He slitted his cat-green eyes open just enough to see - and was entranced by the sight of Nagi's pale face, eyes closed and mouth open in ecstasy as Omi nibbled at the side of his throat. Memory returned abruptly, and he swallowed hard. He felt like he should have been objecting to what his lover was doing, but the two boys looked so beautiful together that he couldn't bring himself to stop them. Besides, his throat was far too dry for him to speak. He felt his body react, his erection throbbing with the force of his arousal as Omi squirmed against him again.

 _*They do make a gorgeous sight to wake up to in the mornings, don't they?*_ Schuldig agreed lazily. Youji glanced over and saw that the telepath was watching the proceedings with interest, one hand still draped possessively over Nagi's hip. _*Overeager little things - they know they're not supposed to start before I'm awake.*_

"Stop," he said aloud, and the boys froze. Omi choked back a moan, his hips making little jerking motions that told Youji that Nagi's hand was most likely wrapped around his cock. "Naughty, naughty, boys," the telepath purred scoldingly. "You didn't ask permission - and when did Youji say you could play with Nagi, Omittchi?"

"I heard him tell you it was okay," Omi replied breathily, defending himself. "Just before all the trouble started." He moaned and twitched again, and did something that caused Nagi to exclaim sharply. "We didn't want to wake you up," he added, voice strained with lust, and something more painful. "I... I needed to be touched by someone who wasn't trying to hurt me..."

Youji's heart clenched at the broken, longing tone in his lover's voice, and he hugged the boy tightly. "Don't push yourself to do anything you're not ready for, Omittchi," he cautioned quietly. "We can take it as slow as you need to go - I don't want you rushing yourself and ending up even more hurt. I don't ever want you to be scared of me - or Nagi and Schuldig - touching you."

Omi gripped his arm with his free hand, and squeezed him tightly in return. "I need this, Yo-chan," he replied huskily. "I'm sorry I didn't wait until you were awake, but..."

Youji hushed him by kissing the back of his neck firmly, making him moan and arch back again. Omi's spine was always incredibly sensitive, but never more so than first thing in the morning. "You just do whatever you need to," he whispered in return.

Schuldig snorted. "That may satisfy Yotan, but you two still broke a standing order. No sex before I'm awake!"

"We didn't have sex," Omi retorted, grinning slightly. "We're just touching."

"You're jerking each other off, and it's the same thing," Schuldig replied. "That logic may have convinced Nagi, but it won't work with me." He stroked Nagi's body from shoulder to hip, to show that he wasn't mad. "Just for that, neither of you two is allowed to come until I say so, got it?"

Both boys moaned simultaneously, and Youji caught a glimpse of Schuldig's evil grin. "Care to test their discipline?" the German invited him, already rubbing his hand over Nagi's chest and plucking at his nipples, making the boy writhe against him.

Youji's eyes widened - it was one thing to agree to let Omi be with the two of them again, and another thing entirely to enter into the fray himself! Still... how could anyone refuse something as tempting as the two of them? Smirking, he wound his hand down under the covers, stroking along Omi's thighs. As he'd suspected, he encountered Nagi's slender hand wrapped tightly around Omi's cock, motionless until Schuldig gave them permission to move again.

Omi whimpered and moved against him, using his whole body to touch his lover as he tossed his head back in delight. He loved to be teased, Youji knew, so he took his time about making his way to the more sensitive areas of the boy's body.

"Go back to what you were doing," Schuldig ordered them, lifting two of his fingers for Nagi to suck on. The dark-haired telekinetic took them into his mouth readily, moistening them by running his tongue over the pads. Schuldig drew in a sharp breath, and his eyes half closed.

Giggling, Omi leaned in and whispered something in Nagi's ear. The younger boy's face lit up, and they started squirming over each other. Moments later Omi was facing Schuldig, and Youji found himself with an armful of Nagi.

The psychic tilted his face up for a kiss, and Youji obliged him automatically. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight of Omi pressed up against Schuldig, kissing the other man passionately as the German's hands stroked down over his back, unerringly avoiding the bruises, blisters and cuts from the whip. Nagi squirmed against him, small hands coming up to play with his nipples, and belatedly Youji touched him back.

Nagi felt very different from Omi, with sharp corners where Omi was rounded and tighter, smaller muscles. The last time Youji had been with anyone so small, he'd been Nagi's age, or very nearly - and it had been with a girl. He hesitated, recalling abruptly that the boy couldn't be more than fifteen, sixteen at the outside, and felt vaguely guilty.

"I won't break," Nagi promised him huskily, looking up at him through dark lashes with eyes full of desire. "And I may only be sixteen, but it's not like I don't know what I'm asking for."

Omi giggled against Schuldig's lips, breaking away to grin at his lover. "Have fun with him, Yo-chan - he's cuddly!" he insisted, gasping as Schuldig lowered his head to lap at his nipples. The fiery mane of red hair looked even more startling against the whiteness of the bandages.

Youji gave in to the inevitable and let his hands wander. Nagi's skin was silky smooth, though old scars marred it over most of his body. He traced some of the lines, recognizing them as whip marks, burns, and other injuries such as a badly abused submissive might sustain. None were more recent than several years, however, and he was relieved at the further evidence that Schuldig treated the boy well.

He grasped the teen's slender cock in his hand, stroking slowly and delighting in his responsiveness. Nagi moaned and shuddered beneath him, his eyes wordlessly pleading for more. Youji sped his rhythm, keeping the strokes even and gentle as Nagi clutched at his upper arms for support.

Omi was moaning in the way that meant he was close to completion, as Youji knew from experience. Just hearing him turned Youji on unbearably, and he wished it were his own hand bringing the boy to the edge. "Un... please, Schu!" the younger Weiss begged shamelessly. "Oh, please... I need to come!"

"No," Schuldig told him firmly, and he sobbed in frustration. "Come without permission and I'll tie you up and make you watch the rest of us get off, Katzchen," he added wickedly. Omi gasped, shaking in the telepath's arms as he fought to control himself.

"Not fair!" he protested, whimpering. "God, Schu - you know how much being tied up turns me on!"

"That was the idea," Schuldig informed him, laughing when he groaned again.

Nagi was panting in Youji's arms, in much the same straits as his partner in crime. "Oh, gods," he gasped, clutching tightly at Youji as his hips snapped back and forth into the thrusts of Youji's hand. "Oh, please, I can't stand it! S-stop, please!"

Youji stilled his hand, making the boy cry out with frustration and rock against him, biting his lip. Youji was fascinated, his own breathing heavy as he watched the little scene play out. Omi was writhing in Schuldig's arms now, breathing in great gasping sobs as he tried to hold back.

Abruptly Schuldig released him, making him cry out with need. The boy reached down to finish it himself without thinking, and Schuldig caught his wrist with the speed of a striking snake. "Bad kitten," he scolded, and Omi moaned. "No touching yourself. That goes for you too, Nagichen - physically OR with your powers!"

Nagi gasped in disappointment, and slumped against Youji. His hands hadn't moved from Youji's arms, but the elder Weiss gathered from Schuldig's comment that he could use his powers to touch himself without being so obvious about it.

Schuldig propped himself up on one elbow, grinning wickedly at the other three men in his bed. "Take Nagi," he murmured into Omi's ear, making the boy's wide blue eyes fly open. "Face up - I want to see both your expressions."

Youji watched, panting, as his lover moved away from the telepath to straddle Nagi, settling himself into the cradle of the boy's hips with the ease of familiarity. Nagi wrapped his legs around Omi's waist, twining his arms around his neck for additional support.

"Are you ready?" Omi asked him, and he nodded. Omi moved slowly, but Youji saw that Nagi took him easily even without lubrication.

 _*Years of practice,*_ Schuldig told him somewhat bitterly. _*You get to where you can force your body open even without help.*_

When Omi was buried completely inside Nagi's body, they both paused, trembling as they adjusted. Youji couldn't resist the urge to reach out and stroke them both, seeing Schuldig do the same on the other side. With a groan Omi started to move, withdrawing and thrusting forward again with gentle strength. He kept the rhythm slow -both of them were on the edge, and neither wanted to disobey the injunction not to come.

"Pretty boys," Schuldig whispered smugly, trailing his hand briefly down to tug at Nagi's neglected erection. Nagi cried out, pushing upwards to get more of the wonderful friction, and whimpered when he withdrew again almost immediately. "Shall we join them?" He grinned at Youji, and produced a small tube from the bedside table. Taking a generous fingerfull, he tossed the tube to Youji who caught it deftly. "Would you rather take him, or be sucked off by both of them?" he continued, grin becoming wicked as he trailed his slick fingers down over Omi's rear.

The White Hunter broke rhythm and lunged away from the intrusive fingers, clutching at Nagi for support with wide eyes. "NO!" he cried out, but Schuldig had moved away long before he vocalized his rejection. The telepath shifted to hug him instead, keeping his embrace gentle and non-threatening. Youji did the same from the other side, feeling Omi's heart beating wildly in his chest. The boy was terrified - they'd moved too fast for him.

Schuldig was murmuring to him, slowly calming him down. "It's okay kitten, I'm sorry, you weren't ready for that. We won't do that, okay? It's all right. Don't worry, you're safe. We'd never hurt you. Relax, kitten, just relax."

Youji added his own voice to the litany. "Bishounen, it's okay sweetheart, I'm here. No one will hurt you. Relax, Omittchi, you're safe."

Sobbing, Omi collapsed against Nagi, who held him tightly. "I'm sorry," he blurted out through his tears, sounding disgusted with himself. "I know you'd never hurt me..."

Schuldig hushed him with a short, sharp kiss. "I'm the one who should have known better," he replied contritely, making Youji stare at him for a moment. "You just concentrate on making Nagi happy - no one will take you, I promise."

He gave a shaky sigh, and looked up at them through his bangs. "But... what about you two?" he asked shyly.

Schuldig turned his wicked grin on Youji. "Well, I suppose we could always have our own fun," he purred, eyes narrowed. "It's been a while since I got to be uke..."

Youji found that while his mind might be hesitant at the idea of taking Schuldig, his body was decidedly not so. He'd come this far already - why balk now? "Shove over," he ordered the boys as Schuldig crawled gracefully past them to get to him. He locked lips with the German, tasting spice and cigarettes and pure, raw sex. Schuldig opened a tiny channel between them, letting Youji feel what he felt and making the playboy dizzy with pleasure. It was almost overwhelming, especially when he added in feedback from the two boys, who had resumed their slow, steady pace.

"You better hurry up," the telepath murmured in his ear, taking the opportunity to lick the delicate shell and making Youji moan. "They're not allowed to come until we do - and I don't think they're gonna last much longer, no matter how slow they go."

The two boys moaned in protest, making Schuldig laugh. Youji groaned as his erection was engulfed by Schuldig's oily hand. He fumbled with the tube, squirting a handful out and dipping trembling fingers in it to trail down past Schuldig's cock to the tight ring of muscle that guarded his entrance. The telepath sighed and fell back onto the mattress, wrapping one leg around Youji's hip to take him down as well. He relaxed, his body opening to Youji's questing finger as he threw his head back and moaned with pleasure.

"Mein Gott... it's been too long," he breathed out, thrusting up to impale more of that intrusive digit into his body. His emerald eyes glittered with lust and anticipation as Youji added two more fingers, finding that they made their way into the telepath's body with almost no resistance.

"I would have taken you if you'd asked, Schu," Omi informed him breathlessly, rocking above Nagi with short, sharp thrusts. Schuldig snorted.

"It would have screwed up the Master/submissive relationship between us, kitten," he replied huskily. "Besides, you and Nagi make such a pretty picture I couldn't bear to separate you most of the time. And I know you prefer uke."

"I have to admit, I had a hard time seeing you as an uke," Youji said, easing himself into position. Schuldig hooked one leg over his shoulder, folding nearly in half as Youji leaned forward.

"If you're forced into it often enough, you learn to like it," Schuldig replied sardonically. "It's either that, or go insane. Gott!" He cried out sharply as Youji thrust forward, eyes closing in pleasure as he rocked upwards in return. Youji made the pace rough and quick, taking pity on the poor boys who were dying by inches beside them.

 _*Are you ever this rough with Omi?*_ Schuldig asked him, proving another usefulness of telepathy as he didn't move his lips from where he'd planted them on Youji's mouth.

 _Of course not!_ Youji replied, following his example. Schuldig grunted as he made a particularly forceful thrust.

 _*You should try it some time,*_ he suggested slyly. _*He won't break, and just look at the way he's watching us. He loves it.*_

Youji glanced over, and found two pairs of blue eyes fixed avidly on them. Both boys were flushed and breathing heavily, and Omi gave him a slow, sexy smile when he caught Youji looking. They had stopped moving entirely, and Youji could see from the strain on their faces that the least little bit of friction would send them over the edge now.

He turned his concentration to Schuldig, wanting to make him come quickly for the boys' sake. Suddenly he felt himself being filled, felt something pressing steadily against his prostate in the way that always drove him wild. Gasping, he glanced back to find the source of the intrusion, and saw only the two boys staring motionless at them.

"Nagi!" Schuldig gritted out through clenched teeth, the muscles in his neck standing out as he strained against Youji. "You... little imp..."

Nagi grinned, eyes sparkling, and Youji realized he was using his powers to somehow simulate the sensation of being filled. Schuldig bucked against him, breath coming in short, rapid bursts as Nagi stroked him as well. "Schist..." he swore, muscles locking as he fell over the edge in a blinding descent. His mind wrapped firmly around Youji's, pulling him over the precipice as well in a sunburst of glorious ecstasy.

They came back to earth in a trembling, sodden heap, tangled together arms and legs and still joined in the most intimate way possible. A whimper from beside them made them turn their heads to see the boys still frozen in place, frustration evident on their faces.

"Go ahead," Schuldig said laughingly, giving them the permission they needed. Omi made two more short, sharp thrusts, then they both tumbled into orgasm with such force that Youji was afraid they'd hurt themselves. They collapsed as well, panting and whimpering with the release.

Once they all regained their energy, they squirmed around until they were in much the same position they'd started out in, with the two boys in the middle. Nagi cleaned them all with telekinetically manipulated cloths he'd grabbed from one of the tables, saving them from having to get up to wash. Youji stroked Omi lazily, reveling in the sweet pleasure of sex. "We've gotta do this again some time," he murmured, drawing surprised looks from the other occupants of the bed. He grinned at them. "What? I'm a hedonist at heart. You've convinced me you're not so bad - do you honestly think I'd pass up a chance at a second go?"

Omi giggled tiredly, snuggling against him. "You haven't seen anything yet, Yo-chan," he told him, words punctuated by a yawn. "They can get you off without even touching you, when they use their powers. And they're endlessly creative." He yawned again, and Youji couldn't help but echo him.

"In the meantime, it's much too early to get out of bed," Schuldig complained, echoing Youji's own thoughts. "You three have worn me out again, you little sex demons." Omi and Nagi both snickered. They settled in again, and Youji drifted back off to sleep feeling perhaps more content than he ever had before. Life was good, he reflected sleepily - he had his beloved and two lovers besides, and the affection that flowed between them all through Schuldig's link with them was like heavenly ambrosia. What more could any man really ask for?

 _*If you figure it out, let me know,*_ Schuldig replied to his thoughts, his mental tone sluggish with weariness and satisfaction. _*I sure haven't found anything better than this.*_


End file.
